It's In Your Blood
by enigmaofherself
Summary: A new addition to the family is unpleasantly revealed, and the Sons have to learn the balance between the supernatural and the ordinary. Turns out controlling their emotion is just as difficult as controlling their Power - and just as dangerous. Reid finds a flame to heat his icy heart, while Tyler learns that sometimes even the baby has to step up. REWRITE RxOC TxOC CxS PxK
1. Honesty Is The Worst Policy

****_**2012 : **Four years after publishing this, I am doing a quick clean up of the writing of It's In Your Blood. There will be no plot change. Feel free to let me know what you think._

_- dresden lace_

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**1**

**Honesty is the Worst Policy**

* * *

The front door was kicked shut and the sound of drunken laughter echoed through the hallway, but it fell on deaf ears. A couple stood opposite one another on either side of the room, the few feet between them more like an ocean that threatened to pull them under, the air crackling with unrelenting hostility.

Anna Parry's arms were crossed tightly across her chest, her feet anchored to the floorboards as she glared at her husband. In contrast, Wayne's arms dangled pitifully at his sides and his shoulders were slumped, his gaze shameful. Despite only having forty-and-some years under his belt, the thick grey streaks in his blonde hair and the scattering of wrinkles across his aged face belied his youth. Despite being strict about his Usage, the damage was inevitable and clear to see.

Yet, it was not his Using that had triggered the argument, not this time. Rather, it was a confession of a once-buried sin. Wayne knew he had done wrong but had never taken it upon himself to break his silence, and the more years that passed, the less important he had felt it to be – a grave mistake.

Oblivious to his parents' distress, Pogue slapped his hand on Caleb's back as the brothers fell through the door, laughing about nothing. As usual, the four of them had spent their night at the local bar, quickly getting drunk on the good beer and the good company. Even the leader had no guilt about their indiscretion, for Chase was gone and everything was back to how it had been; they were carefree and content.

"You _bastard!_"

The laughter stopped, choking off as the brothers stared into the living room. Pogue was the first to move, hesitantly peering around the door, catching sight of his mother and the venom that seeped from her stance.

"I thought you would appreciate me telling the truth?" Wayne responded in exasperation, unaware of their audience.

"Oh, what a courtesy!" Anna cried. "After _seventeen years_!" Unable to bear the woe in his mother's voice, Wayne stepped into the room with his hands raised. His parents looked affronted at his sudden intrusion but quickly straightened up.

"What's going on?" Pogue carefully asked, trying to push past the slur in his words. His parents had taken to arguing more frequently than usual in the past few months, but he hadn't paid attention as to why. This however, was something more than just a petty marital row.

"Ask your father." Wayne flinched at the sting in his wife's voice and he ran a hand down his face, overwhelmed by the idea of having to explain this a second time and to his son no less. After a heavy moment of reluctance, Wayne squared his shoulders and faced his son – and deed – face on.

"Son, there is something I need to tell you… perhaps in private would be best?" He could see the other three boys lurking around the corner, but Anna quickly dismissed the idea, her gesture eccentric as she waved them in.

"No no! Let them hear, Wayne, let them hear this fantastic tale of yours."

Holding back a glare, Wayne sighed and motioned towards the couch which was hastily occupied by the Sons; Anna remained where she was, her eyes full of wroth and betrayal.

"Pogue – son, this is going to be hard to hear… When you were nine months old… now, you must understand that this was just an accident – an act of misfortune, you could say."

"_Accident!_" Anna scoffed and Wayne hurried on.

"When you were nine months old, I was down in Chicago for a business meeting with the old company. I was staying a local hotel, and we just bumped into each other, y'see, that's how it started… that was the day…" he trailed off, unsure of how to put the truth into words. Pogue's expression was confused but apprehensive and Wayne wanted nothing more than for the night to be over.

"That was the day, _what?" _he asked sharply. He didn't like the sound of this and from the nervousness in his father's voice and the pure fury in his mother's, he had a suspicion where this was going. When his father answered him, it felt like his heart had crashed to his feet and shattered into a million glass shards, each of them jabbing straight into his soul.

"That was the day my affair began."


	2. Once Bitten Twice Ashamed

_ 2012 - chapter rewritten. No plot change._

_- dresden lace_

* * *

**2**

**Once Bitten, Twice Ashamed**

* * *

The snap of the bond between father and son was tangible in the thick silence that followed Wayne's confession. Pogue felt his heart begin to race, the alcohol fuelling his rage as he replayed his father's words over and over again in his head. He trembled and clenched his hands into tight fists, a sharp chill searing through his veins.

"Pogue, hear me out!" Wayne pleaded, begging for the chance to explain. When his son didn't respond, he hurried to continue.

"We met in the elevator and we just talked and talked...and then she invited me back to her apartment for some coffee… it just got out of hand. I couldn't help myself! All of the next generation of the Covenant had been born and suddenly there was just this... weight of responsibility, never lifting from my shoulders! Don't get me wrong, I was so happy to be a father, but I found myself just wanting to be the carefree kid I had been before. I was so scared of failing and the pressure just kept building. Being with her made me feel reckless and young again, it took away the reality of having to grow up." Pogue scoffed, easily ignoring his father's justification for he couldn't bring himself to move past the fact that his father had cheated on his mother.

"So what? You weren't the only one that had to deal with that! Every father has to deal with that, being in the Covenant doesn't change that! That doesn't give you the right to go and jump into bed with the first woman you come across!" Anna winced at the flyaway remark but Pogue was too far gone in his rage to notice.

"I know, and I'm _so _sorry," Wayne sighed, sinking down onto the chair behind him.

"That's not even the worst of it," Anna cut in, refusing to let her husband get away with his actions. Pogue looked between his parents, almost afraid of what could be worse than sleeping with someone else.

"We were together for about four months before I decided I couldn't do it anymore – I came home straight away! I didn't even speak to her again after I came home; she left the country and we went our separate ways."

"_Straight away? _Four months isn't straight away!" Pogue yelled, almost hitting Reid in the face as he leapt to his feet. The other Sons exchanged looks of unease and disbelief, knowing they had been forgotten and were glad for it.

"Don't make it sound like you left because you found some moral high ground! Say the rest!" Anna seethed from between clenched teeth. Wayne sighed again, dropping his head into his hands.

"The real reason I left was because… because she was pregnant."

All was still as the words, unforgiving as they were, hung in the air. Pogue felt like he was choking, emotion and something more thickening in his throat as he stared at his father in disbelief and devastation. It was as if the ground beneath his feet was crumbling away, leaving only a bottomless abyss that would swallow him whole if he but moved an inch.

"_Continue." _The command was cold and brittle, just like the woman herself. Wayne thought that it would only take for one to touch a single strand of her ice white hair, and she would disintegrate into diamond dust. His heart broke at the sight of his beautiful wife so hurt, her frozen glare the only thing keeping her from falling – all because of him.

"Why are you telling us this now?" Pogue practically wailed, beginning to sway on his feet as he tried to absorb all that had been said. He felt the knowledge of his father's betrayal expand in his chest, sharp and shadowed, and he was sure his ribs would break from the force of it.

"Because of these," Anna spat, grabbing some papers and almost throwing them at her son. Pogue struggled to catch them, holding up close to his face, the words blurred from the alcohol, devastation and tears in his eyes.

"I have had no contact with Lily since she left the hotel room… but then this came through the door. It's from the British courts: they want to contact me."

"Why?"

"Apparently Lily has died which means that I'm next in line for the child's custody."

Pogue couldn't find the words to express his disbelief. He spluttered as the papers shook in his grasp, some of the pages fluttering down to the floor.

"Just say no!" he finally said. "They can't make you say yes!"

"Apparently they can; I'm the only one they have left. It's this or an orphanage, and I don't have any legal reason to say no. The police have been involved in the matter – they haven't explained why – and they have appointed a lawyer to the case. If I say no, it could get messy."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Pogue spat, his trembling grip tearing through the papers. Wayne sighed, feeling drained as if he had spent the day Using.

"That you have a half-sister and she will be joining us in a matter of days." There was barely enough time for that to sink in before Anna finally moved, storming towards the door. Just before she left, she threw an ultimatum over her shoulder, refusing to look her husband in the eye any longer. Pogue watched as she went, realising instantly that he too was going to have to make a decision.

"If that _child _comes anywhere near this house, then that's it – we're through. If she arrives then I leave. You have a choice, Wayne, and I hope to God that you take this opportunity to finally make the right one."


	3. Blood Is Thicker Than History

_ 2012: quick rewrite, no plot change. _

_- dresden lace_

* * *

**3**

**Blood is Thicker Than History**

* * *

Motherless, homeless, moneyless and without a plan, Ryanne Valentine was out of options. She was to fly over to the United States the next day, and the anxiety of it all was beginning to bubble up. The past few days had probably been the worst of her life and none of her usual haunts were offering the peace of mind she so desperately craved. No, she had nothing left except a neighbour, a gang leader and a runaway, and even they weren't being much help.

It was going to be hard, she knew that. She was fully prepared for things being rough – her whole life had been as such – but she was worried that maybe this obstacle would be the one to defeat her.

Laying her head down on the bunched up blankets, she let her eyes mist over with the shine of the stars and made herself imagine a happy welcome: a father who would hold her and a brother who would help her. Maybe they had been looking for her? Maybe they were even excited about meeting her. Liking this possibility more than any other, Ryanne focused on these happy thoughts.

Her friends weren't too keen on her leaving the area, not to mention the continent. Jace, the gang leader, was especially disapproving, often vocalising his opinion. Not that he would ever be happy unless she was in his care at all times, but that was just how he was. Possessive and intense, she wouldn't have him any other way. Anyway, she had no choice but to leave. Her mother – the only true family she had left – had been murdered. The soft beauty of a gentle woman had been carelessly destroyed, and Ryanne was left with the consequences. It was either live with her biological father, or go to the Highway 54 London Orphanage, and that was out of the question.

"Go back to Scotland," Jace had urged, unaccepting that she would be so far away.

"Or Ireland," Nael, the runaway, had suggested.

Ryanne saw no point in either option. Her mother had been from Scotland, but there was no family up there anymore, her grandparents dead and gone. Ireland was beautiful but the same was true there – where would she stay? Nael himself had run away from the country, so it was unlikely that he would go with her, which would mean splitting the others up as well. No, this way was the best. If it went wrong, then so be it. She only had to wait just over a year until she was eighteen, and she could live in London with the others by herself, with no one interfering.

"At least Richard won't be there, right?" Vesper said for about the tenth time. The young girl was the only one who seemed supportive of Ryanne's choice, but the girl was so loyal that she would agree with anything the redhead did. At least Jace and the others couldn't argue with her point: if Richard knew that Ryanne was nowhere to be found then he would give up and leave.

"Surely he wouldn't come back here, anyway?" Nael had said with uncertainty. "It would be foolish to come back to the scene of the crime." Ryanne had shrugged, uneasy with lingering over the topic of her stepfather.

On the day of her departure, Ryanne and Vesper had packed a small satchel to take with her. She took only her most important and necessary items, not bothered about the rest for they were soaked through with too many memories. When the girls returned to the others, Jace and Nael were standing there, waiting for them. Never before had Ryanne seem them look so rundown and young.

"Here." Jace handed her a small compact item as a peace offering, smiling sadly as the redhead gasped in childish delight.

"How did you get this? This is _new!"_ In her hands was a pristine mobile phone, not a scratch on it.

"One of my boys got it off some kid before he got nicked. Told the fuzz what it was for and ol' man let 'em have it. It's a gift from us pessimists," he told her.

"You better use it," Nael had warned with jest, and Ryanne couldn't help but pull them both into a tight hug. She was going to miss them so much, all of them; she couldn't imagine being without them for even a day, so a few years seemed like an eternity. The four of them were the closest of friends, having experienced everything there was to experience together. Knowing that she would be facing this new challenge alone made her all the more nervous.

Still, when the taxi came, she got into the back and tried to settle her breathing. While the driver started some small talk, Ryanne watched as the three of them waved at her all the way down the road until the dirty alleyway swallowed them up. She was officially on her own.

The journey to the airport was long enough to let her think over her future, but short enough that she managed to stay calm. She paid the driver and went through the gate security, and before she knew it she was in the waiting lounge, watching for her flight on the screens. Never before had she flown on a plane, except for when she was in the womb, so this was a new and frightening experience for her – all of it was. When she got on the plane, she quickly surmised that the trip was being paid for by someone else because her mother's savings never could have paid for a flight where the chairs had small televisions on the back. If the family she was going to live with were rich, that too would be a change of scenery, and she hoped that she didn't look too much like a street-rat.

"Brace yourself, Ryanne," he told herself. "This will be okay. This is the start of a new life and you are going to be happy. This will be okay. For once, change is good."

By the time she reached the pickup part of the airport, she was trembling with anticipation; she had convinced herself that this was going to the happiest few years of her life, no matter what the cynical voice in her head told her. She looked around, searching for her name and trying to remember the photos of her new family's faces from the police report, but she saw no one. Still, she kept smiling and all those who saw her cursed the one would be heartless enough to take it away.

Even as it started to get dark, the room emptying of passengers and their families, she kept smiling. Positive they were on their way, she was undeterred by the wait. _They'll be here, _she told herself. _They'll be here. _


	4. Think Before You Dream

_2012: quick rewrite, no plot change._

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**4**

**Think Before You Dream**

* * *

All four Sons had dressed up nice, throwing on a suit for the occasion: it was the day of the hearing and all were attending. Pogue remained silent for most of the morning, his expression shifting from hurt to hatred to anger in a never-ending cycle. Caleb was concerned for his friend, watching with a constant frown as the second eldest moved through his mood swings. Tyler kept to himself, unsure of what to say or how to help, while Reid stared down at his gloved hands, distancing himself from the situation.

A flurry of accents spun through the tiled halls, a hum of chatter gaining momentum as people washed in and out of their own trials. They had been told that a group of representatives had come in proxy for the UK courts as Wayne had insisted that the trial take place where he lived; this meant that the girl was here too, hiding out behind closed doors. No one had asked after her.

Occasionally, snippets of a fierce argument would filter through the wall next to theirs, Wayne and Anna unrelenting in their fighting as a bundle of solicitors tried in vain to quiet them down. Anna's ultimatum still held strong and it was threatening to tear the couple apart, taking Pogue down with them.

There was a knock on the door and Kate and Sarah slipped into the room, nodding quietly at the others before moving to comfort Pogue. A moment later, another woman arrived at the door with a long nose and a crisp suit. With an smart smile, she asked Pogue whether he wished to meet the girl before the hearing, and it was as if she expected him to agree within an instant. Instead she was met with a glare filled with hatred and unwavering despair.

"If I never see her, it will still be too soon," he had growled, ripping her smile right off. Before she had even thought of a response, Pogue was on his feet and in her face.

"You think I actually want to meet the thing that is destroying my family? If she hadn't been born then none of this would have happened. My family would be happy!" Pogue breathed heavily for a moment and no one moved, too shocked at his outburst. "Just get out of my way," he finally muttered, pushing past the woman. Kate rushed after him as he headed into the men's restroom, and the woman disappeared down another corridor, muttering to herself about indecency and manners. The remaining Sons exchanged muted looks, not eager for the day to unfold.

* * *

_Such an idiot. _Ryanne couldn't believe her idealism. _You fool. _She had waited in that damn airport for hours on end, truly believing that someone would turn up. _Idiot._

There was no one and she had been childish to believe there ever would be. No one cared back home, no one would care here – and why would they? In her hope, she hadn't even thought about what her arrival would mean for the family she was barging in on. Maybe they had been happy and secure, and her turning up out of the blue wasn't a part of their life plan. What insanity for her to believe than anyone would welcome an estranged daughter into their family. She was the result of an affair so they probably hadn't even know about her.

When she had come to realise that there wasn't anyone coming to pick her up, Ryanne had called another taxi and made a tearful phone call to her social worker-representative-something-person. Ryanne wasn't sure who she was, just that she always sounded like she was having the best day of her life and couldn't understand why Ryanne didn't. After explaining the situation, the redhead was directed to the building where the hearing would take place, and she was allowed to curl up on one of their sofas for the night. She could have gone to a hotel or motel or whatever they were called, but she would have had to pay for that herself and she didn't have the money after two taxi journeys.

The night was long and lonely, a lethargic wind whistling through the crack in the window. While the sofa was comfortable, she couldn't switch off her thoughts in order to go to sleep, and she spent the night thinking instead. There were moments where she felt close to crying but she refrained, her tears almost dried that because she had cried so much recently.

The next morning, there was a knock on the door and a stout man pushed into the room holding a tray of toast and coffee.

"Ryan Valentine?"

"It's Ryanne," the redhead automatically corrected.

"Rhian?"

"Ry-anne." The man just shot her a perturbed look and yet again Ryanne cursed her mother's innovative idea to name her after her own parents, Ryan and Anne. It never went down well with the public, making introductions a nightmare. The man shrugged and sat down next to her on the sofa, pushing the blankets out of the way.

"How are you, Miss Valentine?"

"Fine," she responded automatically, really not in the mood to discuss her emotions with strangers, no matter how kind they may be.

"Well, let's cut to the chase, shall we?" He explained how he was her representative for the hearing and was the one who would be looking after her.

"What about that woman on the phone?" she had asked, bemused. The man explained that he was her personal representative for the courts as the woman was just an official representative for all cases like hers.

"You're my lawyer?"

"Well, not quite like that. You see, this is just a hearing to discuss the options of your custody. It's more just formalities than anything else. Mr Parry has already accepted your custody, so it's just making sure everyone understands the fine details of the situation." Ryanne nodded, not really processing the information but too tired to care much more.

She was led through large doors into a room that was occupied by about forty or so people in official looking suits. They watched her every step and she felt about two inches tall, nervous from the sudden scrutiny; she felt like she was on trial for a crime. As she reached her designated, isolated seat, she caught sight of a group of eight people who were watching her with mixed looks, though hatred was the reigning expression: one older woman, an older man, two young women and four young men. The strength of their gazes made her wince and she hurried to look away. She took her seat, abruptly wondering why she ever agreed to come here.

A glass of water was to her left and a sheet of paper listening the names of all those in court was to her right, both equidistant away from the table edge. The chair was bolted to the ground and there were unused metal hinges left undone on the armrests; yes, she felt like a criminal.

The hearing passed by without much of her notice for all she could feel were the glares of the group she was meant to be living with, and she felt so disheartened that her greatest hope for happiness had been nothing but a dream. It wasn't tragic, it was just pathetic.

"Miss Valentine? Do you accept Mr Parry's custody of your person?" Ryanne started, peering up at the Judge with her mossy green eyes, trying to play back what he had asked her. The Judge was an old man with white wisps of hair, wise eyes and miniature glasses that were perched on the edge of his nose. The court waited for her response as she cleared her throat, pulling a blank mask of indifference over her features.

"Yes, y'honour." What else could she say? She would _not _go and live in the orphanage back home. She knew what happened there.

"_What?" _ a woman spat. "We cannot have that thing living in our home!"

"Silence!" the Judge ordered, bringing his gavel down to silence the outcry. Ryanne sighed heavily, ignoring the comment.

"I thank all parties. A follow-up hearing will be scheduled at a later date." The room rose as the Judge walked away and then Ryanne was allowed to leave the courtroom, but even that luxury wasn't granted to her without strife.

"You think you're so great," someone sneered; the redhead slowed to a halt, pivoting on the spot to regarding the angry crowd behind her.

"I beg your pardon?" she responded, pushing all hint of emotion out of her voice.

"I bet you're just some little spoilt brat who got sick of her mummy and decided to come crying to her even richer daddy. Well guess what, that's not going to happen!" Ryanne looked at the long-haired boy while he gave his aggressive tirade and recognised that he was the son, her half-brother.

"You've got it wrong," she replied distantly; she had learnt a long time ago that giving someone an emotional response to a verbal attack was not the best idea.

"You've ruined my life. Just leave, and never come back." His words were final, biting straight into her heart. Unable to keep the emotion from her face any longer, Ryanne turned on her heel and fled from the courtroom, brushing at her eyes. When she reached her office, she flung herself onto the sofa, consumed with self-pity as she wept. There were many things she cried for: her dead mother, her absent friends, her estranged father and her weary heart, but most of all, she cried for her dream of happiness that had yet again been plucked right from her grasp.


	5. Wish You Weren't Here

_2012: quick rewrite, no plot change - just to make it more reader-friendly. Let me know what you think._

_- dresden lace_

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**5**

**Wish You Weren't Here**

* * *

What could have been beautiful was now ruined, the colours tainted by the smear of a stranger's fingertips. Was there hope? Could the beauty be found once again?

Ryanne spent the next few days in the small office for she had nowhere else to go. Even though the hearing was over, the paperwork still had to be processed - and she got the feeling that a certain group of people had made it as difficult as possible. So, she spent her hours in the room, reading the old magazines they had on the coffee table and talking with her representative, Mr Mark Wallace. Their talks were short and uninformative: he had nothing to share with her and she had nothing she wished to share with him.

Putting away the latest magazine, Ryanne rose to unlock the door into the hallway. While the room had a miniscule en suite, only the sink worked, so she used the public toilets down the hall. Despite the corridor usually being empty, Ryanne would still check that there was no one around – specifically any of her newfound family – before she left the safety of the office room. This time it was clear, so she darted into the restroom and quickly went about her business. She came out of the cubicle congratulating herself on her good timing, one of the girls from her fanclub walked in.

Ryanne caught her staring at her in the mirror and she wiped around, cursing her bad luck while bracing for another torrent of abuse.

"Um, hi," said the blonde which shocked Ryanne more than any insult would have.

"Hi...?" she replied, watching the girl warily as if expecting her to switch back into attack mode.

"I'm Sarah, it's nice to meet you." _How polite, _Ryanne thought, wondering what was going on.

"Ryanne," she offered in return.

"That's an odd name! I mean, it's a nice name, just not very common... um, my name mean's princess in Hebrew which is nice, but it's a pretty boring name though. What does your name mean?" Ryanne blinked before answering, bewildered as to why this girl was nervously rambling.

"No idea."

"Oh, well. Um, how are you?" she asked, to which Ryanne replied with a curt 'fantastic', which only made the girl cringe and launch into yet another ramble.

"Is there something you need?" Ryanne finally asked, cutting through the endless speech.

"Sorry, I just... I want to apologise for the way everyone's been acting... it's just been really difficult, y'know? Pogue is taking it really bad because his mother has basically said that it's either her or you, so I'm sure you can see why everyone's... y'know. They're just upset, it's not personal!" Ryanne couldn't help but laugh mirthlessly at the last part.

"I think it's pretty personal." She forced as much malice into her voice as possible, preferring that this girl think her more uncaring than upset.

"Okay, look. It's been really hard for everyone, and I'm just trying to explain that to you, okay? I'm playing nice because I know how you must be feeling."

"Do you now?" Ryanne responded sarcastically. Sarah frowned, losing the kindness in her eyes.

"Yes, I do, because I'm also the result of an affair. My story went differently because my mother left her partner to be with my dad and raise me, but I remember being spat at by my mother's ex-husband." Ryanne listened to the tale with surprise having not expected that at all.

"I'm sorry, Sarah, I shouldn't have assumed anything," she murmured, turning away to stare into the mirror without really looking. Exhaustion dragged her down, her green eyes gritty and sore. "When I was little, my mother would tell me these heroic, romantic stories about my absent father. I didn't know he had a family, I didn't know that I was the result of an affair until a few days ago. I never meant for this to happen, trust me."

Sarah went to reply when another girl walked into the restroom. Her smile was warm and her brown eyes were glinting, but as soon as she saw Ryanne, her expression darkened.

"Is she bothering you, Sarah?" she asked lowly.

"No, Kate, we're just talking." There was a moment of silent communication between the two before Kate turned her back on Ryanne.

"Everyone's waiting for you, Sarah. Let's go." Ryanne followed the two out, hoping to just slip back into her room and maybe have a nap. Apparently this was too much to ask for, because two blue-eyed young men were in her path.

"What is _she _doing here?" the blonde one asked with disgust and Ryanne rolled her eyes, too tired and fed up to be upset at his words.

"It's a toilet, work it out," she snapped back.

"Don't even bother, Reid," Kate said loudly. "She's not worth it."

"I'm so not in the mood for this," Ryanne muttered under her breath, trying to push past them but they would have none of it.

"Just leave," Reid said. "There is no point for you to be here, no one wants you here."

"I have to stay in the custody of-"

"_No one cares." _Refusing to listen to his caustic remarks any longer, Ryanne made for her room, when a deep voice, one that she hadn't heard before, stopped her in her place.

"What's happening here?" Curious, Ryanne turned again only to recoil when she saw Pogue standing there, glaring at her with unmasked contempt. The brunette next to him was looking between Ryanne and the others, waiting for a reply.

"Telling her to leave," Reid responded, his ice gaze trained on her.

"Good idea," Pogue spat, Kate curled in at his side. Ryanne studied him, her thoughts suddenly elsewhere.

Her life sped before her eyes, little anecdotes and scenes playing out before her: her mother kissing her forehead when she skinned her knee; her step-father dancing with her mum in the living room; becoming fast friends with Vesper; their old Scottish home with the friendly neighbours; moving down to London; listening to her mother cry in her bedroom; heroic stories of her biological father; Richard hitting her for the first time; meeting Jace in the streets and then Nael in Ireland; living on the streets; the long nights with the gang, eating and laughing under the stars.

It wasn't a great life and at times it wasn't a good life, but at least it was hers. She had very little to call her own, she was ever reluctant to face reality, she had no education and no home, but she had a group of people she loved and who loved her. Jace's gang offered her shelter and protection so she was relatively safe. She had her dreams, her hopes, her desires.

And then there was this prospect of a new life, here with her father's family. Perhaps it could have been a beautiful thing, full of promise and salvation, but all she could see were ice shards of hated and anger, pointed her way. She had believed that this could be her chance to set things right and see through her issues, face reality and come to terms with what had happened – but it wasn't. So why was she still here?

"Fine," she suddenly replied, all remnants of hurt gone from her voice. "I'll go back to where I came from. This time tomorrow, I'll be long gone, just like you wanted."

There was a shock of silence resulting from her words and Ryanne felt a little smug that she had finally managed to shut them up. Pogue opened and closed his mouth a few times, but it was the tall brunette who spoke first.

"You will actually do that for us?"

"Not for you, but yes. You will never have to put up with me again, and your family can just forget this ever happened."

"Why?" Pogue finally asked.

"It turns out that living on the streets is a lot better than living in an office. At least there, I'm actually wanted." With that, Ryanne spun on her heel and marched back into the room, calmly closing the door behind her. Perhaps she should have felt heartache but all she felt was relief, for once able to say with conviction:

"I'm going home."


	6. A Thing Of The Present

_2012: quick rewrite, no plot change. _

* * *

**6**

**A Thing of the Present**

* * *

An impatient sigh would reverberate around the cold courtroom every few minutes as the men and women in attendance would glance up at the clock, simultaneously straining to hear the conversation that was taking place outside. While the Parrys had their usual crowd behind them, Ryanne's representatives had vacated the hall and were now currently stuck in a very heated argument outside with two men who had before been sat at the back of the room.

These two men, who had been unnoticed previously, had shot to their feet when Ryanne gave her controversial and unexpected response to the Judge's enquiry – the reason that a second hearing had been called at all. Immediately the redhead's representatives had too joined in with the frenzy, the overlap of opinions causing the Judge to usher them out into the hallway.

Personally, Ryanne had been surprised by the reaction to her response, having expected applause or at least nodding.

"_Miss Valentine, I have received notice of a change of decision from you. Let me ask you again: do you wish to stay in the care of Mr Parry?"_

"_No, your Honour, I would not." _

The Judge had asked whether she was sure, his kind old eyes twinkling with some mysterious wisdom as he peered down at her from behind his spectacles. Ryanne had firmly shaken her head, wholly confident with her decision. Yes, the orphanage was a disgrace but she was old enough to put up with it, and this way, she was close to her friends. There was mostly indifference at the orphanage; here there was loathing.

"_What the hell?"_ Caleb had whispered to Pogue while the commotion had erupted in front of the bench. The Parry boy shrugged so Caleb turned to Sarah who had on a thoughtful expression. When she caught his stare, a fleeting look of guilt passed through her eyes followed by a sheepish grimace.

"I was talking to her yesterday," she started to explain under her breath, "and I might have mentioned the whole ultimatum thing… she went really weird, saying she was sorry and how she didn't know about Wayne and how it all happened… I don't know, I'm just thinking that maybe that's the reason she's leaving?" Pogue, who had been listening, shrugged.

"Whatever. Get's her away from us, right?" The others nodded, but Sarah bit her lip, worried that she had triggered the girl to leave.

The whole hall jumped when the oak doors were thrown open, an angry stout man marching down the aisle. He was followed by two women, sisters it appeared, who didn't seem any happier. Ryanne didn't look at them as they flung themselves down onto their chairs behind her, instead focusing on the ripples across the water surface in her glass.

The two unnamed men followed the three, one unaffected and one grinning, obviously having won the argument. The Judge returned to his bench, looking a little unsettled.

"It appears that we must revoke the issuing of parental custody over Miss Valentine. She has expressed her wishes to not accept her biological father's guardianship and the Parrys have made it known that they do not wish to accept custody either. Therefore, due to both sides agreeing, custody shall not be granted and Miss Valentine shall be instead assigned to the care of her native state." The judge then looked directly at Ryanne and she held his gaze with determination, not wishing for his sympathy but knowing she would receive it anyway.

"Miss Valentine, you are now subject to the care laws of your home government, which means you are now under the care of the nearest orphanage to your previous guardian's home until the age of eighteen. You will not receive any financial aid from Mr Parry, unless you decide to file for a financial aid request which will have to be taken to court at a later date, though you must wait at least thirty days before you can file any legal request. Any contact regarding custody must be made through the state." He then turned to Wayne.

"Mr Parry, you are no longer entitled to Miss Valentine's welfare, and have no influence, be it personal, financial or paternal over her any more, unless you decide to file for paternal custody, though you must wait at least thirty days before you can file any legal request. Any contact regarding custody must be made through the state." Once more, the Judge turned to address the whole courtroom.

"We have here the legal representatives of the state and by extension, the orphanage that is in charge of Miss Valentine's care. Please stand, Mr Townsend and Mr Clifton." The two men approached the bench and Ryanne couldn't help but glance over to see who they were. One she did not recognise, but the other made her catch her breath.

The Judge and those on the table beside her watched as she pulled away from the grinning man as if his very proximity scalded her. Her green eyes widened and it looked like she was choking on her words.

"Ryanne," the man greeted smoothly. The redhead sucked air through her clenched teeth, forcing herself to push past the instinct to run, and instead spat out one putrid name.

"_Richard." _


	7. I Spy, With My Little Heart

_ 2012: quick rewrite, no plot change. Let me know what you think._

_- dresden lace_

* * *

**7**

**I Spy With My Little Heart**

* * *

"You can't deny the look on her face," Sarah insisted through the toilet cubicle, smiling when Kate grumbled in agreement.

"I doubt it was as bad as you think," she countered half-heartedly, but the blonde wasn't so sure: she could still picture the look of horror on the redhead's face back in the courtroom. The brunette rolled her eyes as she exited the cubicle and went to wash her hands.

"Oh, come on, Sarah!" she explained in exasperation. "Surely if there was something wrong, she would say!"

"I guess..." Sarah said, still unsure as she too went to wash her hands. A toilet flushed and the blonde looked up, freezing when she crossed gazes with the girl in question. Kate, unaware, carried on.

"Who even cares anyway, she's completely _destroyed _Pogue's family..." she trailed off when she too noticed Ryanne stood there, face devoid of emotion as she washed her hands. An awkward silence followed until Ryanne went to leave, when Sarah blurted out an apology; taking them by surprise, Ryanne chuckled and shot them a smile, though it was tight around her eyes.

"It's fine, don't worry. You have nothing to apologise for, you're right. That's why I'm leaving, isn't it?" The rhetorical question was almost teasing, Kate and Sarah exchanging wary looks at the unexpected light-hearted attitude of this girl. Flashing a bright smile and even offering a wave, Ryanne left the restroom, the door swinging shut behind her. Trying to break the tension, Kate pulled out her makeup and the two began to reapply.

"Get in the car, or I'll make you." The voice, low and gravely, snuck in through the swinging door like a breath of stale smoke, evidently oblivious to having an audience.

"Let go of me," came a sharp reply; the girls recognised it to be Ryanne, her voice muted but just about audible.

"Watch your mouth, brat. Show some respect," the man snarled.

"I would if you _deserved _it." Kate and Sarah crept closer to the door to get a better listen. There was a quiet thump through the wall and they shared an alarmed glance.

"Careful now, child, or I'll make you pay." There was a pause, and then he continued. "I'm sure we have a lot to talk about – Addyson, for instance. How is the tot?"

"How would I know, she got taken from me months ago. You should know, you were there – or has all that bribing you've done with the cops, all the confiscated drugs you've been snorting confused you a tad?"

There was a sharp crack that made Sarah jump.

"Keep your fucking mouth shutand _get in the car!_" The girls waited until they were sure the two had gone before making a dash for the others, their skin crawling, their heats beating fast.

"Now do you believe me?" Sarah asked Kate.

Pogue smiled at the sight of his beautiful girlfriend but his face dropped when he saw her expression, which was mirrored by Sarah. Caleb noticed too and immediately got to his feet, pulling her to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"You'll never believe what just happened!" Kate breathed, pulling her long hair away from her face.

"It's that girl, Ryanne," Sarah began.

"What about her?" Pogue asked dully, suddenly losing all interest in whatever they had to say.

"Well, she was in the restroom while we were there... she heard us, er, _discussing _her," Kate explained. "She was really nice about it, then she left. Thing is, we heard her right outside the door with this guy-"

"We think it's the one from the courtroom: y'know, the one she seemed to recognise."

"Yeah, and he was being really... weird with her, mean even. It was as if they _really _knew each other, like he wasn't just some representative person. Ryanne said something about him bribing the cops and doing drugs or something, and then... we think he hit her!"

"Hit her?" Caleb repeated with furrowed brows.

"Yeah! Now she's leaving with him!" Sarah exclaimed, her anxiety showing through. "We can't let her leave with someone like that, can we?"

"Sure we can," Reid drawled, leaning back against the white wall, gloved hands crossed against his chest. Tyler shot him a look, his hands in his pockets.

"Reid!" the girls snapped in unison, frustrated with his typical uncaring attitude. They were seriously concerned about the situation, and the boys didn't even seem to understand what they were saying.

The Sons were quiet, needing a moment to sort through their thoughts. They had suddenly been put into a position they never expected to be in, Pogue especially. All he wanted to do was go back to his normal life, have fun with his Covenant brothers, enjoy having parents who got on – but no. This girl had a claim to his father – it felt like such an intrusion into his family. Now they were broken at their core, his mother unable to even be in the same room with his father without screaming or crying, or both. He had lost all faith and respect for his father, realising now just how... ordinary he was. A man who was capable of grave mistakes, ones that had the potential to ruin everything Pogue had ever held dear. For the most part, he just wanted to never even think about that Ryanne girl again and go back to normalcy. Could that be done?

Caleb couldn't look away from Sarah's pleading gaze, and he was struck once more by the goodness of her heart. She didn't even know this strange girl, but yet was willing to do everything she could to help her, all on a conversation she overheard. She had a soul of pure gold and the brunette was overcome by the love he held for her. Pogue was his brother, his best friend, and he felt his pain through their friendship. He too wished that the whole situation had never occurred and that Ryanne and her significance could be erased from their lives, but he had always known that it couldn't just be swept under the rug. It superseded them all even if she did just go back to London, that wouldn't stop her from being Wayne's daughter, or Pogue's half-sister. They knew about her now, and even if they never saw her again, Pogue and the rest of them would never stop thinking about 'what if'. What if this man that had maybe harassed the redhead really was bad news? What if he hurt the girl and they found out? What would Pogue feel, guilt? Shame? Anger? Would he even care? Caleb knew that he would; he also knew that Sarah wouldn't let the issue drop. Surely they had to do something?

Tyler tried to guess where Pogue's head was at, but couldn't put himself in his brother's shoes. He could still remember the expression on Pogue's face when Wayne had revealed the truth, and his heart had broken at the sight. He didn't know whether Pogue was right in insisting that Ryanne leave, because a part of him did think about it from her point of view – though he would never confess to doing so. He had spent many nights searching through the legalities of the situation, trying to figure out a way around it, but it was so messy, so particular that he had quickly given up. Instead he tried to comfort his friend, offering his support when necessary. Now, thinking about what could be happening regarding Ryanne, Tyler felt unable to just let it slide. Of course, Caleb was their leader, but it wasn't right. They at least had to look into it.

The blonde of the group only felt antipathy and mild irritation towards the redhead. The most damage to him she had done was force him to think about protection when sleeping around, because he didn't want to have to deal with some estranged child he had never met, and be expected to take care of it and pay for it. No, that wouldn't happen to him. Reid didn't care whether they helped the girl or not, though he couldn't think of a reason why they should waste the energy, especially since she had caused so much strife for Pogue and his family. His protective side over his Covenant brothers made him begin to resent the girl but he had so little involvement in the whole thing that he couldn't bring himself to care.

The one thing that they all had to think over was how much this changed things. Ever since Chase had turned up, things had gone to shit. Caleb went neurotic over safety, Pogue was so insecure about his relationship with Kate, Tyler had inverted into himself and Reid had lost his flair for living life to the fullest. It had been a horrible time, but right before this whole affair situation hit, they had began to step out of their shell and return back to normal again. If they ignored what the girls were telling them now, then there was still a small chance that they could catch a hold of that carefree life before it took wing and flew away for good, but how would they deal with the consequences if something went wrong?

"She's your sister, Pogue," Sarah finally said, interrupting their thoughts with an unforgiving truth. Pogue took her comment to heart, though the notion of having a sister tasted like bile on his tongue. It was so alien to him that he automatically rejected it, turning it into something he hated. He didn't want to blame his father, so he blamed Ryanne because he had no emotional connection to her – right? He thought back to her comment about living on the streets. Pogue couldn't let it go – was it true? He had assumed she was some rich kid, though he had no idea why.

She his sister - and he was her brother.

"_Fuck," _he cursed, ripping a hand through his hair. The girls smiled, understanding his decision.

"I suppose we better go have a look," he begrudgingly said, Caleb smiling at him with something akin to pride. Tyler shared the look and Reid rolled his eyes, though he straightened up with a smirk as he addressed the group, taking on a falsely commanding air.

"You heard the ladies, let's go get in a _whole _lot of trouble."


	8. Her Knight In Shining Biker Gear

_ 2012: quick rewrite but no plot change. _

* * *

**8**

**Her Knight In Shining Biker Gear**

* * *

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Reid ground out as he dodged yet another old lady as the Sons ran through the waiting lounge. Pogue went to answer him but couldn't find the words; he was asking himself the very same question.

"_Because,_" Caleb replied when he realised Pogue wasn't going to respond, "there is obviously something going on and we have the moral responsibility to find out what it is." Reid rolled his eyes at the words 'moral responsibility' but continued to follow the others.

When they got to the mass of airport seats, they slowed to a hurried walk and started to scan the faces of those there. The Sons had managed to get through security with some supernatural assistance, while Sarah and Kate were still at the courtroom speaking to Mark Wallace about finding Ryanne and bringing her back, with the possibility of – yet again – changing the custody order. The representative had apparently been very pleased with the idea and was talking the girls through the process while the Sons raced after the girl in question.

"There!" Tyler pointed, spotting the flash of red hair in the corner of the lounge. Ryanne was sat next to the man from the court who appeared to be reading through a stack of papers. As they approached, they saw how the girl kept shooting the man fierce looks, her shoulders tense and her jaw taut.

"Well, go on then," Reid urged, nodding his head toward the redhead when Pogue seemed to remain frozen on the spot. Taking a deep breath, the long-haired Son walked up to the pair and cleared his throat. They both looked up, the man impatient and expectant, while Ryanne immediately recognised him and began to quietly panic.

"Ryanne... I... would you like you to... not get on the plane," he said lamely, the Sons sighing at his attempt of persuasion. Ryanne bit her lip, glancing at Richard who had lost his expectant look and replaced it with one of irritation.

"And you are?" he prompted, standing up to half-block the girl from view. Pogue forced himself to straighten up, eyeing the man before him.

"I think the real question is, who are _you?" _The man curled his lip for a second, but then began to smile. It was bright and charismatic, but the spark of it made Pogue feel nauseous.

"I am her social worker and will be escorting her back to the orphanage – the orphanage _you _condemned her to," he replied, his voice slick. Ryanne blanched and got to her feet, fidgeting where she stood.

Pogue looked the man up and down, taking him in – and was disgusted with what he saw. He was a decent looking person, with blonde hair starting to grey, his eyes crinkled and dustings of age beginning to settle into his face, and at first glance was normal looking, almost attractive. Charismatic, definitely: Caleb himself imagined that he would be the sort of man to attend his mother's old extravagant dinings and that he would blend in with ease. But there was also something sinister about him, something festering beneath the surface. The two eldest Sons exchanged a knowing look and set their shoulders.

"I'm afraid that we cannot let Ryanne get on that plane with you, Sir," Caleb began, his tone very respectful but firm. The redhead frantically looked between the Sons and the man, both intrigued and wary about how the situation was going to proceed.

"I am giving you the chance to turn around and walk away without anyone getting hurt," the man warned and immediately this set the Sons on edge. Tyler and Reid crowded in to Pogue and Caleb, suddenly taking an active interest in the conversation. The man's eyes flickered to them and he realised that was outnumbered.

"Perhaps you should take your own advice," Pogue said back. The man went to retort but then looked to Ryanne with intense scrutiny. Ryanne ducked her head under his gaze, but glanced up at the Sons from under her eyelashes.

"What do you say, girl? Do you wish to return with these young men?" There was no doubting the implication behind his words: under no circumstances was Ryanne to say yes. She hesitated and Pogue took his chance.

"Come with us," he offered, holding his hand out to her. He realised then what he was doing, inviting this girl – the one who he had held responsible for his family's self-destruction and perhaps still did – into his home and into his life. A part of him felt like it was a massive betrayal to his mother but what else could he do?

"Trust us," Caleb said softly, watching her intensely as she struggled to make a decision. It was that look in her eyes: a shimmer of learned fear and exhaustion, wanting to leave but afraid of the consequences, and not just from the man beside her. Pogue stepped forward and took her cool hand, holding it in the both of us.

"Trust us," he repeated his brother's words, trying to pull her over to him. The redhead locked eyes with him, trying to decipher his intentions.

"_Girl!" _the man snarled, reaching out for her. His hand closed around her thin arm and he tugged, hard. Pogue caught her as she began to stumble backwards, moving so that he could push the man off.

"Richard," Ryanne murmured, trying to pull away from him. "Just let the courts decide?" Her tone was a mix of begging and unease, and Pogue no longer doubted that he had to get her away from whoever this man was.

"Why would they want you?" he hissed at her, evidently trying a different tactic. "Nobody wants you." Pogue frowned, taken aback by the small – yet sudden – rising of something similar to protectiveness as he stepped forward into Richard's personal space, effectively pushing Ryanne out of the way and forcing their contact to cease.

"She's my sister," he said with such steel in his voice that it surprised even him. Ryanne stared up at him in wonder and confusion, bemused as to why the sudden change of heart. Richard raised an eyebrow and stepped away, raising his hands as if admitting defeat though they all knew he was doing no such thing.

"Have it your way, boy, but the Judge isn't going to agree to this. You don't have custody of her anymore, remember? _I_ do." Pogue copied his expression, raising an eyebrow and taking on a haughty air as he looked down at the filth of a man before him.

"I wouldn't count on it."


	9. Lend A Helping Home

_2012 - quick rewrite, no plot change. _

* * *

**9**

**Lending A Helping Home**

* * *

The courtroom was almost empty, the usual attendees having lost interest in the indecisive custody case. Nonetheless, the front two tables and the corresponding benches held the usual crowd, all of them waiting with bated breath as the Judge contemplated the change of events.

"Miss Valentine, do _you _accept the terms put forth by Mr Parry?" The redhead noticed the deliberate absence of 'Mrs Parry' whose seat was unsurprisingly vacant, but pushed way her lingering unease. She hadn't spoken to Wayne about filing for paternal custody, so that had been purely his decision – she shouldn't feel bad about it.

With the Judge's question hanging in the air, Ryanne thought over her options: to stay, or to leave. If she refused to accept Wayne's terms – whatever they were – then she could easily get on a plane and go back to London, her home of almost seventeen years. Instead of the streets, she would be in an orphanage, having to deal with all the _lovely _people that work there, but she would still have her friends and the familiarity of her home city. But, if she stayed, then she would have her _real _father and her _real _brother; she would have a proper house, one without fear and torment and whatever the hell else lurked between the walls of her childhood council home. She could sleep on a bed! Eat decent food!

"Miss Valentine?" the Judge prodded, the small audience watching her intensely. Taking a deep breath and steadying her nerves, Ryanne made a snap decision that she hoped would prove to be the correct one.

"Yes, your Honour." Wayne grinned widely, baffling the redhead with his newfound enthusiasm.

"Hmm. Well, the issue is settled – for the _last _time, please? Miss Valentine, you are now in the custody of your father, Mr Parry. This case is hereby adjourned." They all stood as the Judge exited the small courtroom, the others in attendance quickly filing out. Her representative, Mark Wallace, moved over to the young girl and patted her on the back.

"I am very happy for you," he told her with a smile. They exchanged a few pleasantries and Ryanne took the opportunity to honestly thank the man; while she had never much bothered with his presence in her life the past few days, she did understand that he had most likely done a lot of behind the scenes arguing on her behalf. Graciously accepting her gratitude, the man bid her farewell and too exited the courtroom in order to oversee the completion of the paperwork for the custody.

The Sons approached Ryanne, unsure of how to proceed. Pogue stood beside his father, identical in posture as they crossed their arms defensively, their long hair hanging over their eyes. Ryanne observed them in quiet wonder, still not quite believing that these two had vouched for her, arguing for her custody despite everything her presence had put them through.

"Thank you," she found herself saying, unable to hold back the words. "Thank you so much." Wayne glanced down for a moment but then forced himself to look her in the eyes, both startled and warmed by their similarity to Lily's.

"Of course," he said in reply, not thinking it appropriate to add anything else. "Are you ready?" Nodding, Ryanne got to her feet, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

"Come on then!" Sarah smiled, lurching forward to stand side by side with the girl, taking it upon herself to be the hospitable host of the bunch. "Let's go!" Kate chatted with Pogue as the group left the courtroom, and the tense atmosphere started to relax.

As they neared the door, Ryanne begin to pick up words spoken in a familiar voice, and her stomach dropped. Peering round the corner, she spotted Richard with Mark and a group of other legal persons, having a quiet yet pointed discussion.

"She's only sixteen years old and you're letting her decide her own future?" Richard was asking, his tone calm but biting. Mark sighed as if tired from having to deal with the stubborn man.

"Her paternal father has filed for custody – _he_ is the one deciding her future, Sir."

"Why is this so important to you?" another asked in exasperation. Richard raised an eyebrow and the man shrank back from the venom in his stare.

"I am merely concerned for her wellbeing. Is that so wrong?" It was then that he caught sight of Ryanne who had been watching the interaction with a learned exhaustion. She knew how good Richard was at getting people on his side; he was suave, sharp, charismatic and intimidating. The many crimes the man had committed could get him thrown in prison for life, but yet he still walked free, thanks to a lethal mixture of bribing, persuasion and outright denial. While he was apt at making anyone who disagreed with or challenged him feel as if they were in the wrong, he was also talented at making people fall in love with him – Ryanne knew many a person who claimed he was a Saint. Unfortunately, her mother had been one of them before it all went wrong.

Richard stalked towards his step-daughter like a predator; Ryanne stood strong as she watched his advance, determined not to let him break her, not with everyone watching. What could he do in a public place, anyway?

"Are you sure you trust these people, Ryanne?" he asked sweetly; she didn't respond. "You don't even know them."

"What, better the devil you know, is it?" she replied stonily.

"Oh, on the contrary, Miss Valentine," he drawled. "Sometimes it's the devil you know that holds the greatest threat." With a parting nod of his head, Richard strode from the building, disappearing into the dust. Pogue, who had been watching the interaction with clenched teeth, quickly stepped up next to the redhead, nudging her with his shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked, and Ryanne nodded, dismissing any thoughts of Richard. She had better things to think about now. If she lingered over whatever _threat _he might hold, then she would lose control over her emotions, and that was the last thing she needed right now.

"Let's get out of here," Wayne piped up, deciding he needed to take charge.

The drive over to the Parry household was a tense affair, Wayne having insisted the Ryanne sit in the front with him. He asked her lots of really menial questions that really had nothing to do with anything, but she tolerated them, flattered that at least he was trying.

They drove down through a beautiful area, trees and fields stretching out as far as the eye could see. The amount of houses became sparse but the opulence of them grew exponentially. When they reached one of the particular houses, distant from the others, Ryanne studied the magnificent house with wide eyes.

"This is your house?" she asked in disbelief.

"This is _our _house," Wayne corrected with a smile.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ryanne wondered what Jace and the others were doing. A stab of guilt made her look away from the sight when she imagined them on the streets, searching for food. They spent most of their time in the gang headquarters, which while it was a roof over their heads, it didn't stand for much.

Yet again she found herself doubting her decision, and she cursed her inability to make up her mind. Both options held their benefits and their downfalls; she just had to decide which one would be worth it in the long run. Despite Wayne's happy chatter in her ear and the stunning architecture looming before her, she found herself asking -

_Will I come to regret this, in the end?_


	10. Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Left Behi

_2012 - rewrite, no plot change._

* * *

**10**

**Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Left Behind**

* * *

Only the sound of the clock ticking disturbed the stillness. The room was doused in yellowing shadow, a single slice of late sunlight slipping between the thick curtains. A tendril caught the pale skin of Ryanne's hand and she watched it twist around her thin wrist.

How long had she been in that room? She didn't know. It had been easy enough to get into the house and shown to her room, but as soon as the door had shut behind her it was like a switch had been flipped. She had been intent on unpacking her small amount of belongings, but after pulling out the new little phone and placing it gently on the dresser, she had found herself sat on the bed, unwilling to do much else. The afternoon sun had slipped into an evening haze, the room becoming a greying yellow in the dusk hours.

The room itself was fine: not much furniture but it was by no means bare. The bed was luscious, thick and irresistibly soft; Ryanne felt herself sinking into it, even in her state of mindlessness. Beautiful paintings hung from the wallpaper, an ornate desk tucked into the corner. It was undeniably an unused guest room, hidden away at the end of the landing at the top of the stairs, but Ryanne felt she could get used to it.

Still, she was unnerved by her immediate comfort. No matter how much she tried to reassure herself, she couldn't shake the guilt; it was like a plague, leeching into her every thought. Surely they would be happy for her, all her friends back home! So why was she so ashamed by her newfound luxury?

Ryanne wondered what would have happened if Pogue and the Sons hadn't decided to come after her in the airport. Even now she didn't know why, but she was thankful nonetheless – she had managed to dodge Richard once more. Though, she still hadn't forgiven the boys' cruelty when she first arrived, and how they had abandoned her at the airport the first time. Of course, her sensible side completely understood their actions and could only guess at what they must be feeling, but she couldn't deny that they had hurt her, even just a little bit.

"Not important," she murmured to the darkening room, and it wasn't. Pogue seemed to have changed his mind, Caleb and Tyler seemed nice enough and Reid – well, she couldn't like them _all. _Anna still hated her, refusing to even come home, and Ryanne admitted to feeling bad about that, having kicked the woman out of her own house. But what could she do? It wasn't her fault she was born. Maybe if the woman actually took the time to talk to her, she would realise that Ryanne wasn't just looking for someone to sponge off.

A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. She didn't answer, feeling a little befuddled at the idea of someone actually asking for her permission to enter the room! The door opened after a moment and Wayne backed into the room carrying a quaint silver tray.

"You missed dinner," Wayne explained as he sat down the platter on the desk. "It's just pizza actually. I can't cook and the boys hardly eat anything else."

"Sorry," she said as she moved to sit at the desk. "I didn't even realise the time."

"It's fine, I didn't really expect you to come down anyway, so I didn't call. We don't sit at a dining table or anything like that." He took the other chair, observing her as she pulled the tray towards her and began to pick at the cooling slices.

"How are you?" His voice was wary as if expecting her to break. Ryanne resisted the urge to roll her eyes, reflexively feeling irritated with his proximity; she chided herself at her impatience. If she wanted to be a part of this family, then she had to stop getting funny whenever anyone asked her something.

"I'm fine, honestly. This is just very overwhelming," she replied as honestly as she could manage, realising that being vague wouldn't help.

"You seem to be coping very well with… everything." Ryanne knew that he wasn't just referring to the custody case: there it was, always there, hanging over her head. She steeled herself for his question, whenever it came.

"Why are you in the dark?" She shrugged, saying that she hadn't even noticed. When she called him 'Mr Parry' he quickly asked her to call him 'Wayne' and she was relieved that he didn't ask her to call him _dad. _She doubted she would be able to cope with that, not just yet. He asked her a few more light-hearted things before she got bored and decided to cut to the chase. _Patience! _She scolded but couldn't help herself.

"Why am I here? What changed your mind?" Wayne sighed and got more comfortable in the chair, thinking the question over.

"You know, when I met your mother all those years ago, it was like a godsend. She was exactly what I needed. Back home, here, everything was so stressful to the point where I couldn't be around anyone – not Anna, not my son, not my friends. But with Lily, I felt young again. Free. We were so similar and I felt I could be myself when I was with her." He sighed, a happy smile on her face. "I never told Anna or Pogue about your mother, I couldn't bring myself to admit to it, especially when it would mean turning something that had been so good for me into something that would be seen as a betrayal. Well, into what it's become." He paused but Ryanne didn't urge him on, not wanting to disturb the daydream he was immersed in.

"There were days that I regretted ever leaving your mother once she told me she was pregnant, but then how could I have left Anna and Pogue? I them both so much, and I am so proud of Pogue. I am sorry that I abandoned your mother and you, I really am." He caught her gaze then, trying desperately to make her believe him. "Thing about your mother was, what made me love her all the more, was that when I told her I was leaving, she just picked herself up. She was so upset and so angry with me, but she still gave me a kiss and a hug and helped me pack." He chucked a little at the memory, and Ryanne found herself smiling.

"Did you ever find yourself wondering about me?" she asked him, careful to keep her voice light. Wayne sighed.

"Of course I did! Who doesn't think about their child? You know, I assumed you were a boy." He laughed at the expression on Ryanne's face. "It's _very _common for my family to have a boy – girls are so rare. It never occurred to me that you would be a girl! Oh, it was so surreal. It was another life, a dream, it really was."

"Not for me," she mumbled, looking away. Wayne sighed again and lost the sparkle in his eye as he sobered up.

"How…" he took a deep breath and Ryanne closed her eyes. She didn't want to deal with this now. "How did she die?" The redhead sighed, and then again. How to put the truth into words? She had never admitted it to herself, not to mention out loud; could she now? She began to speak twice but couldn't continue. Wayne waited with endless patience, wondering whether he should take the question back, but he needed to know the truth.

"She was… murdered."

Wayne rocked back while Ryanne abruptly got to her feet and stormed over to the window, suddenly furious. Not knowing what else to say, the man left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

* * *

Pogue hovered outside the bedroom door, knowing that he should be moving on but unable to stop listening to the muffled conversation between his father and Ryanne. Any conversation between those two had to be important in these early stages, and Pogue was hoping he would get some much needed information from listening in.

When he heard his father explain how he had felt about Lily, at first he had felt envious – but then he felt something akin to relief. He still felt the sting of betrayal, but he now understood how his father had viewed the situation: not an act of lust or betrayal, but rather one of freedom. That didn't excuse his behaviour, but he felt better knowing that it hadn't been done out of spite or lack of love.

He was also starting to realise that the blame didn't lie with Ryanne or even her mother, no matter how bitter that realisation tasted.

When Ryanne had – with much struggle – revealed the circumstances of her mother's death, Pogue had hung his head. He had wondered what had happened, for there had been too many police, too many 'representatives' and too little information regarding Ryanne's situation. Perhaps that was the reason he had felt so defensive, because he hadn't been given a substantial amount of time to truly come to terms with having a half-sister. The case was so rushed, moving into court within weeks.

Pogue was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice he had been found out until Wayne grabbed his shoulder. Sheepish at being caught, Pogue hurried away with his father in tow before Ryanne too realised what he had been doing. The pair moved into the kitchen and faced each other with weary expressions.

"You heard," Wayne stated without feeling.

"Yeah… dad, I'm really sorry," Pogue replied, the look on his father's face eclipsing the anger he had for him. Wayne sighed – he seemed to be doing a lot of that lately – and ran a hand over his face and through his hair, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"So am I, son. I never wanted things to happen this way, with you and your mother."

"I know, dad."

"And now Lily's dead… murdered… and Ryanne was living on the streets! I had no idea. I've failed you all. I tried to do best by you both and I only let you both down. I'm going to carry this for the rest of my life." The last bit was directed at himself, but Pogue heard him loud and clear, and was dismayed at his usually strong and laidback father sounding so despairing. Not giving it a second thought, Pogue lurched forwards to wrap his arms around the man. Wayne didn't hesitate in returning the embrace, and the two hugged as tight as possible, father and son taking comfort from the presence of the other.

"It's gonna be okay, dad," Pogue murmured. "We're gonna be okay."

* * *

The long-haired Son strode into the viewing room where the others were casually strewn over the furniture, watching scantily clad women run around on the television. Pogue knocked fists with the blonde who seemed to be appreciating the movie more than the others, while Caleb and Tyler were laughing about something else.

Wayne watched the Sons with a small smile, thinking back to when he and the other fathers had been just the same: young, arrogant, powerful. Now they were old, scared to Use, and one of them was dead. Shaking his head, Wayne moved back into the kitchen, intent on fixing himself a drink to rid the depressing thoughts from his mind.

Instead of beer, he found Anna, staring at him from across the room, a cigarette in her dainty hand. Wayne felt his heart drop at the sight of his wife smoking after she quit five years ago, knowing that it was him and his revelation that had driven her to take up the habit again.

"Hey honey," he began timidly, but he only received an acidic glare in return.

"I see _she _is still here," she spat. Wayne couldn't believe that this angry thing was his sweet, loving wife. How could she have changed so drastically?

"Yes, Anna, she is. I can't ask her to leave, you know the circumstances. The poor girl doesn't have a mother – and she just told me know that Lily was _murdered, _Anna. Do you have any compassion?" He knew he was being cruel but he was trying to appeal to her maternal side. Anna paused for a moment but then roughly shook her head.

"Don't you dare try and put this on _me!" _she snapped, sounding close to tears. "Don't you dare! She is the product of your _affair, _Wayne! I do not want her in the house! I am sorry for whatever she has experienced, but why should we have to deal with that? I just want us to go back to normal."

"Anna, love, we can't go back to normal, not without Ryanne. She's a part of our lives now, you have to accept it. You know how sorry I am about what I did, but I can't change that now. Ryanne is my daughter and I have to take care of her now. I will not abandon her." Anna spun on her heel, unable to face her husband anymore.

"Fine! But if she's here, then I won't be!" Wiping at her eyes, Anna stubbed out her cigarette on the dining room table and marched out the back door, slamming it closed behind her. Wayne groaned and rested his head on the kitchen counter, trying to calm himself down.

"Sorry about that," Ryanne said from behind him. Wayne stood to regard her, forcing a smile onto his face. She looked unsure as to why she had left the safety of her room, the anger gone from her frame and replaced with a broken youth that made him want to hug her close.

"Don't worry about her, she'll come around. This is all very hard for her." Ryanne nodded, not really having anything to say in reply. She had closed away her emotions, determined to not let them get the better of her.

"Come on, I'll take you to the boys." Ryanne blanched a little, wishing she had remained in her room.

"I've already met them," she argued pointlessly as Wayne guided her along to the viewing room. "I doubt they want me hanging around."

"Well, you'll be hanging around a lot more from now on, so they best get used to it." Wayne knocked on the open door into the room and the four Sons looked up, halting mid-conversation.

"Right you lot, entertain Ryanne here, will you? Be nice!" Ryanne cringed at Wayne's use of words: _I sound like a child that needs baby-sitting. _Reid smirked maliciously, but the others smiled at her.

"Of course we can!" Tyler said, beckoning her in. Pogue moved over so that she had space to sit next to him, noticing her wary expression as she folded her legs up underneath her on the couch.

"We don't bite," Caleb assured her, making the others laugh. Ryanne bit her lip but smiled, trying to appear more confident. She wasn't a shy thing, but she hated being out of her comfort zone, and right now her comfort zone was on a different continent. She could still remember the cruel words of these four only a few days before, and that put her on edge.

Though, despite her fears, the atmosphere wasn't tense or awkward as the Sons continued on with their film, three quarters of them making an effort to include her in the conversation. Steeling her nerves, Ryanne tried her best to feel at ease, shooting a smile at Pogue when he caught her eye. She was confident that it was all up from here, a belief mimicked by Wayne and even Pogue.

They were wrong.


	11. Home, Sweet, Streets Of London

_2012: rewrite. No plot change._

_I actually had to rewrite this twice because I'm a fool and stupidly deleted my two copies of the first rewrite, so this is actually the third version of chapter 11. I think the second version was better as I had an entire day to write it, and I only gave myself half of my work lunch break to write this version. _

_I've been getting a lot of hits for IIYB, but zero legitimate feedback. **Please can you let me know what you think**, even if it's just a smiley face or a frowny face or grammar mistakes or whatever. Thanks!_

_- dresden lace_

* * *

**11**

**Home, Sweet, Streets of London**

* * *

The early morning sun burst past the curtains to brighten up the dim room; Ryanne pushed open the large windows, smiling at the sound of the birds chirping in the trees. She peered out over the expanse of garden, rich green grass stretching out as far as she could see. There were two large houses in the distance, and she knew another lurked behind, for they were the similar mansions of Pogue's three friends.

A spark of yellow caught her attention and she saw Pogue weaving up the driveway towards the house, a small car following close behind which, the redhead deduced, must belong to Kate. Moving away from the windows, Ryanne continued to pack away her clothing, smiling to herself. When all her belongings were very neatly tidied away and everything was straightened up – she was determined to keep her room nice and clean – she began to get ready, pulling on some jeans and a baggy top.

The front door banged and Ryanne hurried to fold away her pyjamas so she could go get some food and plan her day. She got to the ground floor landing, still fiddling with her t-shirt, when she picked up on the conversation between Pogue and Kate.

"She's gone crazy," Pogue was saying, rustling around in the cupboards. "Absolutely lost her mind."

"She's in a bad place right now," Kate defended softly as she poured out some drinks.

"I know, and trust me, I understand what she's feeling because I felt it too – but she's completely going about this the wrong way. She's phoning me up at some ungodly hour in the morning to just rant about how much dad has betrayed her. I don't know what she expects me to do about it, and when I told her so, she went off on one. She's driving me mad."

"I'm sure she'll come around." Pogue sighed heavily, grabbing a pack of crisps and emptying them into a bowl. "If she would just give Ryanne a chance, then she'll realise that she's not some gold-digger or whatever. Give her some time."

Ryanne decided that now was as good a time as any to interrupt, so she coughed to let them know she was there and walked into the kitchen. Kate immediately turned and launched herself at the girl, pulling her into a tight hug and pecking her on the cheek.

"Ryanne! I'm so glad you're here, I wanted to apologise for my behaviour and what I said about you before." The brunette looked so sorry that Ryanne couldn't help but laugh and return the embrace.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Kate beamed and stepped away to pour a third drink of orange juice, handing it to the redhead as she struck up another conversation. Pogue caught Ryanne's eye with a grin before he disappeared into the viewing room where everyone went to watch television. The girls stayed in the kitchen while they chatted.

"Hey! We're going shopping with Caleb and Sarah who should be here any minute – do you want to come with?" The question was so genuine that Ryanne was speechless for a moment, still shocked at the turn of events.

"Thanks for the invite, really, but I think I'm gonna just spend the day getting used to the house and settle in, y'know?" Kate nodded empathetically and Ryanne had to laugh again, astounded by the change of attitude in the girl.

"Next time though? We need to have a girly shop, you, me and Sarah, definitely." Ryanne agreed, knowing that she needed to buy some clothes, and she mentally made a note to ask Wayne about getting a job so she could pay for said clothes.

The doorbell rang and Pogue let the other couple in, Sarah immediately coming to join the two girls in conversation, also pulling Ryanne in for a hug. The trio continued to chat while Caleb and Pogue went to speak to Wayne about something, disappearing into the older man's study. When they came out, Wayne went over to Ryanne with a youthful grin on his face.

"Do you want to go with this lot? They're going shopping." Ryanne again turned down the offer with a smile, but Wayne immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Are they intimidating you? Don't feel like you have to say no!"

"They're not-"

"If they are, you let me know! You're just as important here-"

"Dad!" Pogue barked, evidently irritated with Wayne's uncessary fussing. "Stop bothering her, she said no, it's fine. She's not a child." Wayne looked sheepish at his son's scolding and Ryanne blushed, feeling awkward. Hoping to change the subject, Ryanne said goodbye to the lingering four, the two girls giving her yet another hug before closing the door behind them.

"I'm sorry," Wayne said quietly once they'd gone. "I just want you to know that you're not an outsider." Ryanne smiled, touched at his concern.

"I know, thank you for being on my side, again." The man let her knew he would be in his study and that she had the house to herself.

"Let me know if you need anything," were his parting words. Happy that she was finally alone, Ryanne went to snatch up the bag of crisps and her drink, and then drifted outside into the garden, intent on doing some reading while taking advantage of the lovely weather.

* * *

A shadow fell across the pages, and Ryanne was so immersed in the book that she jumped a mile, nearly toppling into the pool she had sat beside so she could dip her feet into the cool water.

"Oh, Reid, you startled me." The blonde just stared down at her as if she had spoken in another language.

"O… kay." Deciding to ignore him, she went back to her book, turning side on to him again as she got comfortable; but he didn't go away. He continued to stare at her until finally it got too much and she snapped at him.

"_What?"_

"You've just taken it upon yourself to get comfortable, then?" he eventually asked her, though she sensed that he wasn't looking for an answer.

"Am I not allowed to be comfortable?" she asked back anyway, putting down her book.

"You don't belong here," he said in reply, his tone acidic. "You're not part of this family. I bet you expect to get everything done for you, not even going to pay for your room or your clothes or anything. Living off the Parry's charity."

"I'm sorry, do _you _pay for your room and your clothes?" Reid didn't answer, instead just sneering at her. "Well then. I don't know what your problem is, I have nothing to do with you."

"Leave," he snarled back. "Just _leave." _The sound of the front door opening and closing drifted out to the garden, and the pair looked over at the house as the others piled into he kitchen.

"Ryanne! Come here, look what we got!" Shooting Reid a last glare, Ryanne picked up her book and strode into the house, peering into the multitude of bags Kate carried. Reid belatedly followed after her, ignoring Pogue's questioning look.

As the boys started to get some food ready for dinner, Tyler shifted over to Ryanne, nudging her with his shoulder.

"You going to Spencer, then?" he asked her as he pushed the many shopping bags off the counter to make room for the plates. Kate tutted as she picked them up, Sarah laughing at her less than please expression.

"What's Spencer?" she asked back, brushing her red hair out of her eyes.

"Spencer Academy!" Kate piped up, eagerly joining in with the conversation. "It's where we all go to school. Oh, you _have _to come to Spencer, it would be so much fun! We'd have to make sure you had classes with us!"

"It depends on what classes she took before," Sarah reminded her. "What have you done?"

"Oh, I've never gone to school before," Ryanne replied offhandedly. "So going to some Academy probably isn't the best idea." In fact, she loathed the idea of going to some rich, smart school. She would _not _fit in at all, and where on earth would she get the money for it?

"You've never been to school?" Kate said in disbelief. "Wow, I can't imagine not going to school, I'm so jealous! You should come though, it really would be a lot of fun."

"You need an education, Ryanne," Caleb added in his usual manner, prompting Ryanne to roll her eyes.

"Okay, okay, whatever. I bet it's expensive though - it'll take me ages to make enough money to pay for it, so I probably won't be able to go into the same year as you," she told Kate who made a face. Pogue pushed in, teasingly shoving Ryanne with his shoulder.

"Don't worry about things like that, I doubt dad will make you work to pay for school." Ryanne heard Reid make a pointed cough and she glared at him again, frustrated that his comments were getting proven true, despite her inability to do much about it yet.

Kate and Sarah noticed the glare and send her a questioning look, which Ryanne just rolled her eyes at. The pair immediately got her point and sniggered, understanding completely just how frustrating Reid could be.

"Preaching to the choir, honey," Sarah told her, causing the others to look at her strangely, and the three girls laughed between themselves as they left the kitchen go put on some chick flick, sharing a big bowl of popcorn.

* * *

Once the film had finished and Ryanne had bid farewell to the girls and Caleb, she made her way to her room, intent on having a shower and getting a good night sleep. Her bed was heavenly, and she was so eager to snuggle up on it and hopefully have pleasant dreams.

She was so focused on looking out her pyjamas and her towel, that she didn't notice her phone ringing until she caught a sight of the flashing green light as she turned to leave. Dropping her clothes on the desk, Ryanne dashed over to the mobile, hoping it was Vesper so the pair could have a late night gossip before she went to bed.

"Hi!" she greeted happily, checking her appearance in the mirror, just because she could.

_"Ryanne! Oh my god, Ryanne, something terrible has happened!"_ Ryanne immediately froze, staring blindly at her own reflection as she heard the restrained sobs in the young girl's voice.

"Vesper, slow down. Tell me everything."

_"A group of guys broke into the headquarters and one of them – oh my god – one of them_ shot_ him and now he's in hospital and – and –"_ Ryanne fell back into her usual role of 'mother hen', keeping her voice calm and steady even though she had already started to tremble.

"Who has been shot, Vesper?"

"_Jace!" _Ryanne stumbled back and sunk into the chair behind her, her heart already picking up speed as she felt the panic kick in.

"Jace? What about the others, what are they saying?"

_"Nael isn't saying anything and everyone's avoiding me, I think it's bad, Ryanne, I think it's bad! You need to be here!"_

"Okay, Vesper. Let me think." She leapt up and began to throw open her drawers, grabbing whatever was at the top and throwing it onto the bed. "If I get a flight as soon as possible, then I could be there by tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. Don't know how I'll pay for it, but I can deal with that later." Ripping out her bag from under the desk, she started to shove her clothes into it, throwing it half-done over her shoulder as she ran down the stairs.

"I'll phone you back in a minute, okay? If anything happens, let me know." She hung up without even letting Vesper reply, squeezing the phone into the pocket of her jeans.

"Wayne!" she yelled, still pushing clothes into the bag. "_Wayne!" _She knew it was so rude of her to shriek for him, but she was seriously past caring. The man in question hurried out of his study.

"What? What is it, Ryanne?"

"I need to go back to London," she said over her shoulder without thinking. "I need to leave right now." Wayne paused, looking as if she had physically struck him.

"Ryanne, can we talk about this? Please?" He sounded so upset that the redhead had to stop and look at him in confusion before it clicked.

"Oh no! That's not what I mean, I'm sorry! My friend has been badly hurt and I need to get back to see him!"

"Hurt how?" By this point, Pogue and the others – they had stayed while the girls had left, staying up to play some videogame – had heard the racket and were looking between Ryanne and Wayne in confusion.

"He got shot."

"Shot?" Pogue repeated in disbelief.

"Occupational hazard of living on the streets," Ryanne snapped back, trying to locate her shoes. Tyler pointed to them before picking up his keys from the corner table, waving them at her.

"I can give you lift to the airport?" he offered and Ryanne launched herself at him, thanking him repeatedly as she hugged him. Wayne hurriedly got his credit card out of his pocket and handed it to his son, gesturing for him to follow the girl.

"We'll _all_ go," Caleb amended, pushing Reid towards the door despite his protests. Ryanne didn't even notice them follow her as Tyler led the way to the car, too busy trying to zip up her bag and tie her shoes laces as she ran to the Hummer.

Minutes later they were speeding towards the airport, Reid bitching, Caleb scolding, Pogue on the phone and Tyler driving. Ryanne stared sightlessly out of the window and up into the darkening sky, her previously locked away guilt surging up her chest once more as she imagined how much pain Jace must be in.

Jace was her best friend, her saviour. She was still alive because of him; he had put a roof over her head, taken care of her, loved her when no one else would – and she had abandoned him for luxury and money.

_Stay alive, Jace, _she begged to the night sky. _Stay alive for me._


	12. Just Taking It One Brother At A Time

_2012: rewrite. Please review!_

_I'd also like to point out that if there isn't '2012: rewrite' at the start of the chapter, then I haven't rewritten it. Just letting you know! _

_I wrote this chapter on a Thursday, and then checked it over on a Friday (and Friday's really bloody suck at work because everything goes wrong before the weekend) and I'm not sure I've caught all my grammar/spelling errors. Please let me know if you spot any! _

_- dresden lace_

* * *

**12**

**Just Taking It One Brother At A Time**

* * *

The people in the queue sniggered behind their hands as they witnessed the blonde teenager's tantrum. Reid outright refused to step behind the barrier into the line, raising his voice when the others ignored his protests.

"Why do we _all _have to go? I don't see why she can't go by herself," he whined, pulling Tyler out of the queue, ignoring his pointed look.

"_Just get in the line!" _Caleb snapped, clicking his fingers to his heel as if he was addressing a petulant child or a disobedient dog. Reid glowered, already embarrassed, and finally stomped over to join them, crossing his arms and turning away from the group. Tyler followed behind, rolling his eyes at the blonde's behaviour.

Ryanne hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention to Reid, too busy standing on her tiptoes in an attempt to peer over the heads of those in front of her. Unfortunately, being of average height meant that she could only see the top of the board and she had no idea how fast the line was moving. She cursed, her hands trembling as she fidgeted where she stood.

"Calm down," Pogue murmured, running a relaxing hand down her arm. The girl was a shaking mess, locks of red hair stuck to the thin sheen of sweat on her forehead, her makeup running from the heat of her panic. She kept clenching and unclenching her frail fingers, bobbing on the spot. When she didn't acknowledge that he'd even spoken, he gripped her arm and tugged so that she looked around at him.

"_Calm down,"_ he repeated. Ryanne sighed, dragging a clawed hand through her straggly hair, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She couldn't calm down – Jace had been _shot _– but she knew that panicking and fretting in the airport wasn't going to help anything. Taking a deep breath, she nodded at Pogue, glad that he was here.

"Thanks," she whispered, and Pogue pulled her into a side hug. Feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, he pulled it out to see a text from Kate. The two girls had already arranged to go to Boston for the weekend, so that hadn't been a problem. As Caleb had said, if something with them went wrong, they could Use to get to them in a second, so Pogue was content with going away for a few days with Ryanne.

When the queue eventually moved forwards, Pogue took the lead and placed his hands on the counter, flashing a charming smiling at the employee behind the desk.

"Five of your best tickets to London, please."

* * *

The wait only lasted an hour at most, but it felt like days to Ryanne. Unable to keep staring at the frozen clock, she instead would ask poor Tyler every few minutes how long they had to go. When he couldn't take it any longer, he put his hand over her mouth to silence her incessant questions.

"The more you ask, the longer it will feel," he said wisely, only removing his hand when she agreed to remain quiet. She smiled at him despite her inner turmoil, glad that these boys no longer seemed to hate her.

_Well, except one, _she thought as Reid sighed dramatically, looking as if he would rather be somewhere else but in the airport. Caleb kept shooting him irritated glances, embarrassed that the blonde was acting so childishly. Ryanne didn't care how he was behaving as she had more important things on her mind.

Finally the intercom sounded, alerting the passengers that it was time to make their way to the plane. The Sons and Ryanne pushed to the front, deaf to any complaints. The redhead got the window seat after Pogue teasingly fought her for it: she had calmly stated – with a bite to her tone – that if she didn't get the window seat then she would be forced to sit on his lap.

"Why?" he asked, laughing.

"If I don't sit by the window, I get sick and grumpy and by the time we land I'll probably be screaming, okay? I don't like small spaces and I especially don't like small spaces that I can't get out of. So _move_." The long-haired boy immediately acquiesced, giving her access to her much coveted seat.

"Someone's got a temper," Tyler joked from the seat in front, and Ryanne flicked him in the ear as he leant over.

"Don't sass me boy," she replied haughtily, shutting her eyes as she got comfortable. She gripped the armrests as the plane took off, finding that she was liking flying less and less. Pogue spoke to her but she didn't hear him over her buzzing thoughts. Fortunately, due to her emotional exhaustion, she found herself drifting off, falling asleep with her head on Pogue's shoulder.

When they landed, Pogue shook her awake and the five of them hurried to get off before everyone reached for their luggage – something they lacked considerably. As the boys hadn't expected to actually get on the plane with her – a decision Pogue made and Caleb agreed with only when they arrived at the airport – they hadn't brought anything with them; Ryanne was a touch better off with her messily packed satchel filled with an unhelpful assortment of socks and leggings.

When they exited Heathrow airport, the Sons expectantly turned to Ryanne, waiting for her to take over. The girl gazed around at the mass of limbs and luggage moving to and fro through the airport, the hazy afternoon air already beginning to chill. The redhead dug around in her satchel for a phone and quickly dialled the only programmed number, but no one answered.

"Damn," she breathed, weighing up the mobile in her hands, wondering what to do. She had told Vesper that she would be here in the afternoon, but the girl hadn't picked up her call about their specific arrival time. Ryanne had hoped that a car would be waiting for them, but apparently not.

"Here, hold this." She threw the phone at Pogue and wandered over to a bus stop that had a map and a list of important numbers on the side. Hoping there would be one for a taxi, she began to scour the list. Just as she found one, she heard her phone ring and Pogue answer.

"Hello?"

"_Ryanne?"_

"No, her… her brother." Ryanne looked over her shoulder at his words and saw that he was staring at her, unsure as to whether he had said the right thing. Sending him a smile, she straightened up.

"_Ah, I see. You called?"_

"Well, Ryanne did –"

"_Put her on, please." _Pogue looked at the phone as if looking at the person speaking, then held it out to the redhead who hurried over.

"Who is it?" she asked and Pogue shrugged.

"Some guy."

"Nael!" She snatched up the phone, pleased to hear his calm, steady voice.

"_Ryanne, are you okay?" _

"Yes, but Ves' obviously didn't get my message because I'm here and I don't have a way to get to you." Nael told her that he was at the hospital with the young girl, and was reluctant to leave the slumbering Jace. Sighing, Ryanne scuffed her toes along the pavement, feeling her mood drop as she was reminded of Jace.

"_Wait, one second." _Ryanne glanced around at the boys who were staring at her intensely, intermittently peering around at their surroundings. "_Okay, you'll be picked up in five. See you later, shae." _Smiling at his endearment, she said goodbye and tucked the phone away.

"So, what's happening?" Pogue asked as they waited and Ryanne explained.

"Well, Jace is the leader of the main gang in London called _Brethren, _and through that he has control over a few other gangs. Thing is, there are a lot of gangs and underworld crime in London, so that means that there are lot of people that aren't, y'know, _friendly_ towards him."

"How did a teenager become leader of a gang?"

"You'll be surprised how young the majority of people in gangs are, especially their leaders. The previous leader made Jade her second in command and when she died in a raid, he was automatically made leader. I remember that day – the raid, the moment he was so-called crowned king – like it was yesterday. But yeah… Jace is twenty anyway, so he's not that young compared to a lot of others."

"How did you meet him?" Tyler asked.

"I met him years and years ago, when he had just moved to London. His brother used to be the leader of another gang so Jace was kind of raised in a gang culture."

"Is he picking us up then?" Reid asked impatiently and Ryanne shot him a filthy look.

"He's the one that got shot, _twat._" The blonde was taken aback at the venom in her voice, while the other three smirked at his expression. Pogue grinned at her, almost proud that she had shot him down. "So no. Someone else will come."

A few minutes later, true to her word, two four-by-fours drew up to the pavement outside the airport. The cars were big beasts, but they were scratched and beaten, with mud splashed up the side. They looked like they'd seen tough times, as did the three men that climbed out of them. The Sons tensed at the sight of these hardened people, but Ryanne leapt forward and threw her arms around one of them.

"Hey, Ry'," he greeted in a deep, gravelly voice, holding her to him. He was tall, probably in his early twenties, dark stubble, dressed in dirty jeans and an old stab-proof jacket, and most noticeably, had a large scar across his face.

"I didn't expect _you _to come and get us," the redhead said as she pulled back. He raised his eyebrows at her remark, turning her towards the car.

"Seriously, girl. As soon as Vesper told us you were on your way back, the entire gang is on red alert in case of another attack. They've already raided the HQ, and a group went for Nael this morning."

"_What?"_

"He's alright, girl. Don't you worry, no one's gonna hurt you… or your friends." Scar glanced back at the Sons who were lingering on the pavement uncertainly, watching the interaction between him and the Ryanne.

"After you," he gestured towards the car, and there was no hesitation as the Sons clambered into the back of the four-by-four, tightly pressed up against each other as Ryanne comfortably climbed into the front seat. The other two men that had turned up with Scar got back into the second car, following them through the streets like an entourage.

The inside of the car was even more beaten up than the outside, but more importantly, there were weapons stuffed down into every orifice possible. Scar himself had a powerful gun across the dashboard, while Ryanne carefully shoved aside a few harpy knives to put her bag on the floor.

"Packin'," Pogue commented, trying to appear as laidback as Ryanne was. Scar glanced at him in the mirror, his eyes cold.

"We need to be, since our leader just got shot in the chest in our own territory."

"Is that why she's getting the royal pick up?" Reid asked sarcastically, looking out the window. Scar looked at Ryanne who just shook her head; the other three watched this interaction with fascination.

"It is, actually. The group that is claiming responsibility for the attack are targeting those closest to the top. Ryanne, as Jace's closest, is one of them. Nael has already been attacked."

"Who's Nael?" Tyler asked. Ryanne took up the explanation.

"Right, Jace is the leader. Scar here is his second in command and those two following us are Scar's personal guards. Nael is a guy who we met in Ireland and he came back with us because he'd run away, blah blah a gang you have two main types of people, blood or civilian. Blood basically means gangster, while civilian means they are affiliated with it. Myself, Nael and our friend Vesper are the top three civilians, while Scar here is obviously the second blood because he's the second in command, and Jace himself is the prime blood. Geddit?" Not really, but nodding their heads anyway, the Sons tried to process this information that Ryanne had divulged so light-heartedly.

"That's a lot of private information you've just let loose," Scar said lowly. In reality, he was asking another question with much blatancy: _who are they?_

"You don't have to worry about them. That's Pogue, Caleb, Tyler and Reid. Pogue is my half-brother, hmm?" Scar nodded, knowing full well why Ryanne had been sent off to the other side of the world.

"So _you're _the one who has stolen my girl away?" Pogue was speechless while Ryanne laughed, hitting Scar on the shoulder. The Sons were astounded as to how different she was with Scar, happy and youthful and smiling.

"As we're nearly here, I need to talk business with you boys, okay? You too, Ryanne." His voice lost all hint of humour and Ryanne instantly sobered up.

"I'm gonna be your personal guard while you're here, sugar. You're not going nowhere without me breathin' down your neck, and you lot, you ain't going nowhere without someone with you either. There're eyes everywhere, so you've no doubt been spotted hangin' outside the airport, so you're gonna get tracked." They pulled down a road that had a barricade of cars, some of them police, down at the bottom. Both sides of the street were filled with all types of people, scrutinising anyone who came near. They waved the two four-by-fours through, Scar raising his hand as they drove past.

The Sons quickly realised that they were at a hospital, and a heavily guarded one at that. Scar got out first, quickly moving round to help Ryanne out, standing close to her at all times. The two from the other car swarmed behind the boys, flanking them as they were shown into the hospital.

"Ryanne!" someone called, and a few people came forward to hug or knock fists with her. More and more people waved or called out to her, and Ryanne returned their greetings with a smile. This was why she had stayed in London for so long, this was why she had been so reluctant to leave her home city: because this mismatched, weapon-wielding, rough-edged group were her _family._

"Why are there police here?" Tyler asked and Scar answered over his shoulder.

"_Brethren _have an understanding with the police; we keep away from drug trafficking and they keep us away from jail. It's more complicated than that, but that's all you need to know."

As they entered the hospital, Ryanne lost her smile and her heart got heavy. Scar loosened his shoulders, keeping a hand on the redhead's back as he lead her up to Jace's private room. The hospital itself was run down but well used as it was the only hospital that the _Brethren _and related gangs would attend when hurt. It was protected by the police and the gang itself, so the doctors were desensitised to the guns and knives that were being waved around.

The door to Jace's room was guarded by seven gang members of the highest authority, standing stoic outside the room with powerful guns resting in the crooks of their arms. They nodded at Scar, stepping aside to let him through, and a few of them smiled at the sight of the redhead girl, though they all scowled at the Sons.

As soon as she stepped foot into the room, Ryanne scurried over to the bed as fast as she could, dropping her bag on the chair as she went by. Jace was covered in wires, connected to machines that beeped for him and breathed for him, his bare chest rising and falling gently. There was a thick white patch on his chest, blood beginning to spot through. He looked so pale, so young and so … _weak, _that Ryanne began to cry, just a few tears making their way down her cheeks. Immediately she brushed them away, knowing that Jace would hate to see her cry over him. _You're stronger than that, _he would tell her.

"He'll be okay," Scar murmured at her side.

"I know," she sniffed, climbing gently onto the bed to perch at his side. Rubbing her back, Scar turned to look at the four boys who looked so out of place that he almost laughed.

"You boys hungry? Here, let's go get some grub." Not giving them room to disagree, Scar ushered the Covenant out, closing the door behind him.

"Oh, Jace," she sighed. "What on earth have you gotten yourself in to?" Making sure not to tangle his wires, Ryanne slid up next to him, managing to fit into the miniscule space left so that her head was resting gently on the uninjured side of his chest, right over his heart. The sound of it beating, strong and defiant, soothed away her anxiety. Just as she was lulled into a dreamless sleep, she felt Jace's arm lift and drape over her shoulders; while there was no strength in his grip, it kept her in place and she knew that he would never let her go. Feeling safe and secure, she fell into peaceful slumber.

* * *

Scar took the Sons to the hospital's canteen which in reality served as the common room for the guards that were off duty. A thin cloud of smoke snaked through the fluorescents, the back doors and windows thrown wide open in a small effort to appease the hospital staff.

The five of them were now huddled around a rickety table, picking at meagre sandwiches and wilting salad. There sat in silence, the tension thick and awkward, making Scar tut and push away his plate.

"So, you're her brother." His words were firm and forceful, and Pogue had to hold back a cringe as if he had been verbally attacked.

"Yes…" Scar raised a scarred eyebrow, the reason for his sobriquet making the Sons uncomfortable as they tried hard not to stare.

"None of us were too happy that Ryanne was getting taken away from us, though I suppose it's a good thing if she's going to a better life. Are you giving her a better life?"

"Er, yeah."

"_Er yeah? _That doesn't sound too convincing," Scar probed, leaning forward as he pinned down the long-haired Son with his intense stare. Caleb coughed, drawing his attention.

"The start was rocky but Ryanne has been warmly welcomed into the Parry household by her biological father and Pogue, as well as the rest of us. You cannot doubt our care for the girl when the four of us paid for her to come here, as well as accompanying her." Caleb's tone was formal and authoritative, and Scar leant back in his chair as if appreciating the boy like he was a piece of art.

"That is true," he finally agreed, pulling out a cigarette from his top pocket and dropping it onto the table. "I must warn you now, not to sound dramatic or anythin', but Ryanne is much loved here, as are all the civilians. She is especially close to our prime blood, so don't think that because you're in the States that she ain't got no one lookin' out of her."

"We look out for her," Pogue snapped back, trying to keep his irritation in check. Scar shrugged, picking up the cigarette to roll it lazily between his fingers.

"Just lettin' you know, son. She's got a bit of a past and a hell of a temper, so I know she can be a bit rough to 'andle."

"I know about her past," Pogue replied icily, causing Scar to raise his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Really now? Do you know all the dirty details? I don't think you do. Not many people do, eh? Right, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go have a fag and then find our lovely redhead, as I'm her personal guard an' all." He gave them a mock salute and strode from the canteen and up the stairs. The Sons watched him go with jaded looks.

Only a few minutes later, a group of people wandered into the hall, one of them being a petite brunette who skipped past the tables, bidding everyone a happy hello. When she spotted the Sons, she hurried over to them with a youthful grin.

"I know you! You're the new ones, hmm? Yes, you are!" she threw herself down into Scar's empty seat, pulling his discarded plate towards her so she could eat the sandwich off it as if it were a five star meal. "Which one is the brother? Ooo, you! Hi! I love that she's gone with you guys because it's so freakin' cool!" She squealed a little, clapping her hands. "Okay, I'm gonna go so I'll see you later! Bye! Oh, I'm Vesper by the way!" The brunette danced off to join up with the group she had come in with, laughing as she went. The Sons said nothing, shocked into silence, not quite sure what had just happened.

"So, er," Tyler began, deciding to break the silence. "What do we do now?" He looked to Caleb for leadership, but the eldest just shrugged and turned to Pogue with an expectant look. For the first time in eighteen years, Caleb was stepping down; he wasn't in charge anymore.

Pogue was leading them all now.


	13. When Life Comes Knocking At Your Door

_2012: rewrite! __This chapter is quite heavily edited, I think it's the most edited chapter I've done so far. It includes a change of characterisation (to make it more realistic) and a very slight change of plot in the sense of changing a character's motives, but still ending at the same point._

_Please let me know what you think! _

_Much love,_

_- dresden lace._

* * *

**13**

**When Life Comes Knocking At Your Door**

* * *

Pogue searched his mind long and hard as he tried to justify just why he had decided that the Covenant should follow his estranged half-sister to London. It was a decision he had frequently scrutinised in just the past few hours, but he had yet to come to a satisfying conclusion. When they had been shunned by the so-called 'gangsters', when they had been stared at by those in the canteen, when the arrogant Scar had belittled them, Pogue had berating himself for making his brothers follow him; but when they had been allowed entrance into Jace's hospital room for a second time and he had spied Ryanne curled up against the blonde patient's side, vulnerable and clinging, he once again changed his mind.

The hospital ward had been cleared out, meticulously guarded in such a way that one might think a celebrity or a politician lay in the room – but no, just a much-loved gangster leader who had saved many lives with his wit and his courage. It had been Nael who led the Sons back up to the injured man's room, introducing himself with sparse words and a warm handshake. The petite girl, Vesper, was already in the room with Scar at her side, hovering by the only window as they quietly conversed under their breaths. It seemed that the girl had lost her hyperactivity now that she was with Jace, her features solemn instead of gleeful.

The Irish boy, Nael, kept the Sons entertained, deeming himself the polite host of the group, asking them harmless questions about their homes and the weather. _How are you finding London, _was a strange one to ask though, and it had no answer as of yet. How did they find London? They were in the midst of a scrappy, brutal, underground gang who knew more blood than manners – it wasn't the best of introductions to the infamous city.

After that, there wasn't much to talk about. Reid pulled his beanie low and sunk into his chair, appearing as if he was taking a nap; Tyler stared off into the distance while Caleb continually scanned the filthy hospital room, not at all impressed with their surroundings. Pogue, however, kept his gaze on his redhead sibling, still frantically trying to figure out just how he felt about her; though, despite all the hatred and anxiety the revelation of her existence had stirred up in him at the start, he couldn't deny that he cared for her now. As he watched her sleep in the arms of the restless Jace, he knew that he couldn't turn her away from his home. She was his sister; nothing could change that.

It was Jace that awoke first, opening his eyes fast and twitching as though he expected to leap out of his bed. Scar jerked forward as if tied to the blonde by a piece of string; the disfigured boy put his hand on his friend's arm, squeezing it for a moment as they shared a long glance.

"You're okay, boss," Scar murmured, his words lost in the quiet haze of timid chatter between the rest. Vesper bounced in her seat, wanting to go up to Jace but knowing that it wasn't the time. She leaned towards Nael who came to an abrupt stop in whatever he was about to say, pulling the girl into his side as if she was the very reason he still had the desire to breathe. This seemed enough for Vesper, and she relaxed into his embrace.

Scar and Jace continued to talk, unheard by the others, and Nael continued to distract the Sons with mindless questions that Pogue was sure held hidden meanings. It was during this that Ryanne woke up, slowly and groggily, the ever constant lullaby of Jace's heart still luring her back into slumber. She had her back to the room and so her awareness went mostly unnoticed, so she took the opportunity to stare out of the window, her thoughts thick but sharp.

Ryanne wondered whether the Sons felt awkward and out of place; they certainly looked it. Why had they come with her? A part of her wished that they hadn't, which was selfish and ungrateful. Pogue's sturdiness, his calm and steady being had kept her sane, she was certain of it. No doubt her own imagination and unstable thoughts would have twisted all possibilities of Jace's health into certain death, and the flight from there to here would have been unbearable.

Having the Sons with her in her hometown with the people she had grown up with, was a meeting of two worlds, of two lives – of two people. This made her uncomfortable, more than she cared to admit. Before she had been able to chose, black and white, between the two; now her options were meandering in a greyscale spectrum of many, many factors. She hadn't wanted Pogue or the others to see her previous life, and she definitely didn't want her first family to ever know about the pompous luxury she had been granted on the other side of the world. Her sanity teetered precariously on the edge and she doubted she had the energy to do anything about it.

Ryanne felt her mood darken and curdle as she turned her thoughts over and over again. No one noticed, unaware that she was even awake.

Except Jace. Jace always noticed.

He knew her better than anyone and always would. Her every thought, every wish, every fear and every desire – he knew them all as if his very flesh was stitched together with them. For some reason, a reason he would never understand, the average girl that he held in his arms was the epitome of his existence. If there ever was a purpose for him to walk this earth, it was because of her. In her he saw his every tomorrow, and through her, he conquered his every goodbye.

It was because of this that he felt her pain more than he felt his own, physical though it was. He could feel her hover dangerously on the edge of her own sanity, the mess of her emotions knotting uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach as she tried to form some sense of stability in her mind. Looking directly at his second in command that stood unwaveringly at his side, he silently asked for his help. He knew, without doubt, that Scar would follow through whatever he wished, no questions asked.

"Scar, take our guests to wherever the HQ is now." Nodding, the man turned and ordered that the Covenant disperse from the area. Not believing that they were being told to leave for a second time, the Sons stomped out of the room, grumbling all the way, and Pogue caught one last look of his sister before Nael pulled the door closed, leaving Jace and Ryanne alone.

"Baby," Jace murmured, pushing auburn hair out of her face, revealing her mossy green eyes that looked as if they had been fashioned the spring grass. "Baby, what's the matter?" Ryanne scoffed at the audacity of the question, squirming away from his grasp now that the others had gone. She watched as Jace tenderly pushed himself up on the bed, his experienced fingers testing his newest wound, only a distant flash of pain registering in his weathered features.

"I'm scared, Jace," she finally whispered in such a way that he felt his heart break.

"Of what, honey?"

"Of _everything. _I – when Vesper told me that you'd been shot, I was terrified that I'd lost you for good this time. I don't know what I'd do if you died, Jace," she moaned, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes, bidding the tears to stay away.

"What else?" he prodded, knowing that his skirmish with death hadn't been her main fear.

"I'm scared... I'm scared because I don't know what to do. I usually know what to do but now I don't and that scares me _so _much. I just... I just can't... oh god."

"I thought you wanted to stay with your biological father and his family?" he asked carefully.

"I did! Well... I'm not sure. Wayne's wife _hates me. _They all did, at the start! They absolutely _hated _me. It was so horrible." Jace clenched his jaw but said nothing, knowing that his anger would only stop the flow of confession. "That wasn't even the worst part! I mean, it was... they were so horrible to me, they told me to leave and they didn't understand and it hurt me way more than it should... but that wasn't the worst part!" She took another shaky breath. "_He _was there, Jace. _Him. _There. In America, on the other side of the world where I should be untouchable – _he was there." _

"_What?" _Jace hissed, unable to help himself. His body tensed instinctively and it pulled at his stitches, making him grimace. Ryanne glanced up at him, looking so young that Jace wished he had never let her go.

"He pretended to be my social worker or something like that. Everyone believed him and it got to the point that we were in the airport – I was scared then. I didn't know what he would do, but I could imagine the things that he could. Sometimes I can't believe that he's done the things that he has, but I could then. I really could." He voice was cold and flat, almost dead. Jace sighed, running his hand down her back. In the silence that followed, he thought about the consequences of what he was about to do. It was not the best of times, but it had to be done and he could no longer hold back what was needed to be said.

"Ryanne, baby, you need to come to terms with what's happened." The redhead looked up at him sharply, her eyes betraying her fear.

"I have." The words were choked, stiff. Jace shook his head.

"No, baby, you haven't." Ryanne tensed and turned away, dodging his seeking hand.

"Shut up, Jace!" she spat with misguided malice, moving off the bed so that he couldn't touch her anymore; his touch was like silk to her, and could bring down her barriers without effort. She couldn't – wouldn't – let that happen now.

"Ryanne!" he insisted, mentally cursing his inability to follow her. "You can't keep this locked up forever! You have been denying this ever since it happened and it's time that you face your fears. If you don't, it will ruin you. There will be nothing left." When there was no reply, he pushed onwards. "You're letting him win, baby. You are! You're not even fighting him. You are going to let him consume you until you're just like your mother-"

"_Shut up." _Ryanne spat, whirling around to face him, eyes burning. Jace continued, knowing he was finally getting through to her.

"No, I won't because you need to hear this. Your mother is _dead, _Ryanne, and she's not coming back."

"Shut. Up."

"Richard murdered her, and if I hadn't found you, then he would have murdered you too, and yet you do nothing? You're not a child, Ryanne, you're better than that! Why do you let him win? Is that what Lily died for, so that you could let yourself be thrown around the country and still be manipulated by him? You're ignoring your own mother's murder because you can't handle what it means. You're afraid of trying, of facing the truth, so you hide away. Why, Ryanne? Why are you doing this to yourself? Lily would be ashamed."

"_Stop it!" _she screamed at the top of her lungs, losing all sense of decorum. The door was kicked open, guards flooding through; Ryanne continued in her emotional oblivion. "You don't know anything, Jace! You don't know her, you don't know him, and you certainly do not know _me!" _

The guards who had sprawled into the hospital room watched as Ryanne screamed at their boss. Most of them were seasoned members of _Brethren _and knew precisely who this girl was, and that no matter how angry she may get, she would never possess any sort of threat towards Jace. Yet, there was one guard who was new to the gang and was eager to impress. The redhead was unfamiliar to him and so he only saw an enemy. Desperate to gain the respect of his gang-brothers, the young guard lurched forward – unaware that the others had come to an abrupt halt – and grabbed the girl, pulling her round into his chest so that he could press his clean, unused blade against her carotid artery.

"Someone's been a bad girl," he whispered into her ear, trying his very hardest to appear as intimidating as possible. Ryanne froze and suddenly a scene from her memory played out before her eyes, as real as if she was experiencing it for the first time.

_There stood an aging man, all hint of eloquence and charm gone as he drunkenly dragged his feet across the fading carpet. He was no longer a saint but a sinner, a smear of blood on his lips. A young woman lay at his feet like a sacrifice, white nightgown torn and stained with a deep crimson that spread lazily across her chest. Her green eyes – a perfect green, the green of trees in an untouched paradise, the green of the sea on an endless summer's eve – dimmed as they stared unseeing towards her daughter. A rusty kitchen knife was thrown carelessly onto the bed, the man discarding the used utensil as if he was unsure why he had even picked it up in the first place. _

"_Do you see," he began in a slurred voice, taking an unsteady step forwards, almost tripping on the body of his wife lying languid on the floor. "Do you see what you made me do? I just ask – ask that you _obey – _but you don't, you refuse me and..." he trailed off, gazing down at the woman he had perhaps loved in a dream, her beauty frozen in death, more at peace now than she had ever been before. "I just wanted you to be a good girl... why couldn't you have been a good girl?" _

_The man made a sound, almost a sob, and he jerked away from the corpse. His frenzied eyes searched for his step-daughter, catching her flash of red hair as she pressed herself into the very corner of the bedroom, her face blank with shock. _

"_You're a bad girl!" he yelled then, pointing an accusing finger in her direction. "Why do you have to be such a bad girl?" Shaking his head as if trying to dispel the demons that lurked in the very depths of his mind, he turned from her and threw himself face first onto the bed, barely missing the knife as it lay innocently on the pillow of a murdered woman. _

_Soon his snores filled the room, but Ryanne didn't move, unable to tear her gaze from her fallen mother. She couldn't even remember what had happened: yelling, swearing, smashed bottles, the flash of a knife and then... she could smell the blood. It was thick and metallic; so strong she could almost taste it._

_Perhaps she should have done something: phoned the police, screamed, ran, but she did nothing except watch as her mother's blood seeped into the carpet, the gaping wound forming a scarlet crest emblazoned across her fragile chest. She was broken now, her soul spilled over the council house floor, lost of all significance and purpose. Empty, meaningless and without salvation, she was nothing but carrion for the birds of her daughter's tortured mind to feed on._

"_No!_" she screamed then, closing her eyes tight against the reality of her own memory.

"_Let her go!" _Jace snarled so viciously that the guard thought he might be attacked right there and then. Scar, who had been coming up the stairs and had seen that the guards were no longer out but inside, dragged the guard away from Ryanne who crumbled to her knees. Jace ripped the IV from his arm, and swung his legs onto the tiled ground, ignoring the half-hearted protests of his guards. Scar dragged the boy in his grip around to face him, grabbing him by the hair.

"You only attack on command, _understood?" _The guard nodded, cursing himself for his mistake. Scar threw the boy out of the room and the rest of the guards followed suit, not needing an order to know they were dismissed; Scar then helped Jace reach Ryanne, knowing there was no point in telling his leader to get back to bed. When the two were together, Scar took his leave.

"I'm sorry," Jace breathed, pulling her to his chest, clenching his jaw from the pain. Ryanne swallowed, feeling her eyes burn as she held back the tears. She hated crying, she hated it more than anything. Crying never helped anything – but my god, did she want to cry now.

"It's okay," Jace said as if he had read her mind. "It's okay to grieve." Unable to hold it back anymore, Ryanne bowed her head and sobbed, loud and messy, horrible wailing sounds. She cried for the loss her childhood and the loss of her innocence. She cried for the loss of her sanity, the loss of her peace. Most of all, she cried for the loss her mother.

Lily wasn't coming back; she accepted that now. For too long she had lived in denial, refusing to remember that night – but now it was undeniable. Her mother was dead, gone – but while there was nothing she could do to change her mother's tragic fate, she could still change _hers. _That was what Jace had been saying all along: Ryanne knew what Richard was capable of, but yet she always underestimated him because he was all she knew, and so she became wary of change. She hated her life, but did nothing to fix it because she was afraid of the consequences. But she had to fight. She had to.

"I'm scared," she sobbed, this time knowing the origins of her fear. "I'm so scared." Jace held her tight, stroking her hair and whispering reassurances in her ear. Ryanne held onto him as if he were the only thing keeping her afloat. For her entire life, she'd had someone there to make the important decisions for her and she had gone along with whatever they had decided. First it had been her mother, and then Jace. Now, she was on her own: she had to make her own decisions and take responsibility for the consequences – that was more terrifying to her than she had ever known.

As Ryanne cried, Jace too thought back to the night that Lily had been killed. He had been the one to find Ryanne, curled up and unmoving in the bedroom, staring at her mother as if she could will her back to life. Richard had been passed out on the bed, so Jace had acted without a second thought, bundling Ryanne into his arms and taking her back to the headquarters. She hadn't cried once, hadn't allowed herself to accept the truth. Now, finally, she was mourning and by doing so, she could move on.

Eventually the tears ran dry and Ryanne was left hiccupping and dabbing at her eyes. She continued to sit in Jace's arms until she realised that he really shouldn't be sat on the floor, and so she helped him back into the bed, fidgeting with the IV until Jace took her hands and stopped her fussing.

"I need to go back there," she said quietly, her voice shaky but determined. "I need to get the closure that I've been desperately trying to avoid." Jace sighed, having known that this day would come.

"Okay. Take the others though, I don't want you going alone."

"Vesper will want to come. Pogue and the others might too."

"Do _you _want them to go?"Jace sounded doubtful but Ryanne's eyes took on a fierce glint as she thought about one particular blonde who could do with being knocked down a peg or two.

"Yes. They've made their assumptions about me, and I want them to know just how wrong they are. I think they need to know exactly where I came from – and I need to know that I will never go there again."

Unbeknownst to her, the Sons had been waiting outside of the room with Nael, Vesper and Scar. The guards had been told to stand further down the hall, Scar quietly explaining to Nael what happened. Pogue, in his anxiety, paced up and down the corridor, impatient for Ryanne to leave the damn hospital ward. Yet, it wasn't Pogue who purposefully leant against the wall by the door, quiet and focused as he listened in to the conversation between Ryanne and Jace. It wasn't Pogue who heard her tears, or the fire in her voice.

Despite himself, Reid hung his head when he realised just who Ryanne was trying to prove wrong.


	14. A Woman's Pain Is Never Done

_2012: rewrite. Let me know if you like it?_

_Also, both Taylor Kitsch and Chace Crawford have been on the Lorraine/Daybreak (British morning TV news shows) this week! I'm taking this as a sign of fate. I don't do anything about The Covenant or even think about it for years, and then suddenly half of the Sons are on TV in the same week (at exactly the time that I watch it while I wait for my ride to work), when I'm rewriting the story! Fate, I'm telling you._

_Anyway, enjoy the chapter. _

_- dresden lace_

* * *

**14**

**A Woman's Pain is Never Done**

* * *

Whatever they had been expecting, this wasn't it.

Pogue stared up at the tiny house which was identical to every other lining the street. There was nothing that made it stand out, the standard white paint now a dark grey from filth, the front steps crumbling from lack of care, all the greenery dead and brown. The windows were covered in tape and the door was boarded shut.

"Round here," Ryanne murmured, drifting down a thin alleyway that lead round to the back of the houses. It was even dirtier down there, the narrow passageway littered with rubbish, old clothes, broken toys and an endless amount of bottles. The redhead pulled out a rusted key and unlocked the back door; she had to put her shoulder to it to push it over the gathering of old newspapers and bills that had been accumulating on the mat.

"The post always gets delivered through the back door," Vesper whispered to the Sons as if this was vital information, "so that no one sees them go to certain houses. That causes all sorts of drama, let me tell you."

As Ryanne fought her way into the hallway of her childhood home, the rancid stench of rotting food hit her full on. She gagged and muttered a warning to Nael who was behind her, peering into the small kitchen from where the smell was coming from. Holding her breath, she opened the fridge and almost vomited from the repulsive odour. Vesper hurriedly pulled out a bin bag and held it as Ryanne threw away the spoiled food, quickly tying it and leaving it outside.

Once the food had been taken care of, Ryanne moved deeper into the house, nudging empty bottles and pairs of abandoned shoes out of the way. The further she went, the colder she got, shivering as the darkness of house sucked away all warmth. There were pale squares on the peeling wallpaper, ghosts of picture frames that had long been destroyed, thrown in anger. Shards of glass still lingered on the carpet, whispers of memories from long ago.

Peculiarly, the layout of the house was back to front, with the kitchen and living room at the back, and the bedrooms and bathroom at the front, another reason why the front door was rarely used. Ryanne pushed open the door into the lounge, the familiarity of the sunken two-seater sofa, the rickety dining table and the corner stand covered in endless papers making her smile. They didn't have a television because they had to sell it for money, and so her mum would sit and make up ridiculous stories in place of watching it; Ryanne couldn't remember all the stories but she would always remember how hard she would laugh at her mother's facial expressions and silly voices as she played out the characters.

The group moved into the living room, Reid and Tyler quickly sitting down on the couch while Caleb leant against the armrest. It was easy to see that they were very uncomfortable, Reid refusing to look around, instead focusing on his hands. Pogue was more interested in his unconventional surroundings than his Covenant brothers, picking up the assortment of papers on the corner stand to look through them.

Leaving the others in the living room, Ryanne moved further into house, stepping into the miniature corridor from which four doors sat: the boarded up front door, the bathroom, her bedroom and the master bedroom. Deciding to take it step by step, Ryanne slunk into her own room; it was gloomy but intensely familiar. It was a very secretive room, a hushed stronghold in which she had spent many days. Inside was a single mattress in the corner with a heap of blankets and pillows thrown haphazardly on top, a stack of books by the head, a treasure-chest-like box under the window, and some free-standing shelves which held neatly folded clothes. It wasn't much, but Ryanne had no bitter memories of this room and that made up for a lot.

Sighing deeply to herself, she crouched down by her mattress and dug her fingers into the small, unnoticeable rip by the side. She fished out a miniature key and slotted it into the chest, unlocking the old thing to reveal a collection of dog-eared journals, photographs, a dusty hoodie that once belonged to Jace, and various other memorabilia. Slipping off the empty satchel she had brought, Ryanne started to pile the contents of the chest into her bag, feeling the weight of her childhood heavy in her hands.

"You okay?" Vesper whispered from the doorway as if she were scared of disturbing the strange silence Ryanne had immersed herself in. Glancing at her over her shoulder, the redhead beckoned her in with a soft smile. Dipping her hand back into her satchel, Ryanne pulled out the collection of photographs and gave them to the brunette.

"Look!" Vepser cried to Nael as the others peered into the room. "It's the day we met ya!" The Irish boy laughed as Vesper shuffled through the photos, pointing out particularly memorable ones. Tyler leant forwards to look at the photos too, chuckling at their comments. Vesper blushed at his closeness, gazing up at him beneath her lashes. Nael noticed the look and frowned at the youngest Son.

"How long have you been here, then?" Caleb asked Nael, trying to make polite small talk. Nael shrugged, coming to a stand.

"For a few years. I had no intention of coming to England but when I met Jace and the others, I decided that I may as well come back. I wasn't living at home and had no money or nothing to my name, so I had nothing to lose." Caleb nodded, asking him about his home country. Pogue joined in, finding it easy to hold a conversation with the laidback Nael.

While they talked, Ryanne slipped unnoticed through the second door in the room that lead into the bathroom which was borderline unhygienic – but Ryanne had no time for the tiny, tiled room, and she went back into the hallway, barely glancing at the group that were beginning to spill out of her bedroom.

There it was: the heart of the home, the whole point of this trip. The master bedroom.

Ryanne reached out and grabbed the handle without thinking, drawn to the room like a magnet, everything else fading away. Her fingers began to tremble from a sudden rush of adrenaline but she hardly noticed. The door swung open, tauntingly slow.

It was as if the room had fallen dormant in the wake of that night; the memory, the reality, the emotion of what had happened remaining untouched behind the door. With nowhere to go, it had seeped into the walls, sinking deep into the threadbare carpet, saturating the furniture. A scream echoed, unrepentant, across the ceiling and tangled in the curtains.

"What's going on?" Pogue murmured to Nael as they stood behind Ryanne, watching. Nael shot him a dark look.

"This is the first time she's been back since…" he trailed off, looking back at the redhead with uncertainty. He twitched forward as if torn between waiting or leaping forwards and dragging her away.

"Since what?" Caleb asked, his voice equally quiet.

"Since Lily was killed," Vesper finished, solemn once more. Tyler stared down at the young girl at his elbow, and for a second was mesmerised by the beautiful innocence he saw there. She was skinny, unnaturally so from ack of nutrition, her hair was long but lacklustre, and he certainly didn't find her physically attractive in the way that he usually saw his women, but Tyler wasn't looking at her appearance. No, he was seeing her goodness, her youthful virtue that she kept a hold of through sheer positivity, optimism and hope for the world. Tyler saw this, and he was both humbled and inspired.

Ignorant of the others behind her, Ryanne took several deep breaths, focusing to tame the sudden fire that coiled tight around her ribcage. Setting her shoulders, Ryanne entered the bedroom, a very small part of her finding it ridiculous that she was getting so emotional about a bloody room. Very calmly – on the outside – she strode into the room, following the L-shape of the walls. She walked the three and a half steps that it took to reach the main section of the bedroom, and turned.

It had once been a very attractive room and hints of this could be seen by the personal details that remained, but now it was drab, dark and lifeless. It was the stoic carcass of a short-lived thing, a life torn away unbearably early. Perhaps it was the injustice of it all that Ryanne choked on the most, gagging as she stumbled - suddenly weary - across the blue carpet.

Reid strained to see past Nael and Vesper who hovered at the threshold of the bedroom, too timid to go forward but unable to look away. Pogue kept glancing between the two, but they gave no clue as to what he should do, so he stayed where he was, fidgeting as he worked himself up into a frenzy. Reid made a noise that sounded much like a growl because for some reason unbeknownst to him, he wanted to go in after the redhead. He watched as she tripped forwards, now mostly obscured by the wall, swallowed up by the darkness.

The carpet was stained. Even the shadows couldn't hide that.

Ryanne couldn't look away from the dark patch in the centre of the room, now more of a brown that the vivid crimson it had been as it spilled inconsolably from her mother's chest. Flickering, as though the line between past and present was faulty, the memory of her mother falling to the floor with a hand to her chest - as if she was merely swooning rather than dying - played before her eyes. It was a scene of a crime and a scene from a fairytale, too real, too horrible, too tragic to be accepted as reality.

Why did it have to happen this way?

Ryanne sunk to the floor, sitting with her knees bent as she sagged against the undeniable, irreversible truth of her mother's death. She had refused to accept it for so long that it was no longer relevant. Everyone else had moved on, already the backstreet rumours and police reports filtered down into the static noise of insignificance. Her mother dead and itt was no longer present, but past. Just a memory.

"Oh, mum," she murmured, picking at the fluff of the carpet, her head hung in exhaustion. There were a few tears that dripped quietly down her cheeks, more of a human necessity than an emotional outlet. Her head pounded without relent and she ran the back of her hand across her forehead.

"Screw this," Reid suddenly spat with abrupt malice. The others stared at him in bewilderment as he turned on his heel and stomped out of the house, slamming the back door hard behind him. Vesper glared after him with more rage than Tyler would think such a young girl was capable of, and he hurriedly rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Forgive him," he murmured, shaking his head after his friend.

"He's ignorant," she snapped back. Tyler sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"Reid isn't ignorant of much," he replied, but Vesper ignored him, turning away, and Tyler followed Reid out the door, Caleb and Pogue not far behind. Nael moved then, stepping delicately into the bedroom. It was as if this intrusion broke the fragile shell Ryanne had built around herself, and she turned to meet Nael's steady gaze. There was a moment when she looked totally lost like a little child, but it passed as she took a deep breath, regaining her mask of indifference.

"Come on," she murmured to Nael, letting him pull her to her knees. "Let's go see Jace. I'm sure he's practically crawling the walls." Chuckling, Nael firmly closed the door behind him, hoping he would never have to see the inside of the ghost house again. Vesper danced forwards, pulling her best friend into a tight hug, holding on for dear life.

"We're gonna be okay," Ryanne said with more certainty than she had felt in a long time. Vesper nodded, burrowing her head into Ryanne's shoulder, the way a child might do with their mother.

Outside, Pogue leant his forehead against the cool, grimy wall that blocked in the houses. Caleb patted him comfortably on the back, not entirely sure what to do. They began to talk in low voices, separate from the other two. Reid scoffed at them and pushed away from the wall, stalking down the alleyway away from the house. Tyler sighed and followed him, hurrying to catch up.

"Behave!" Caleb shouted after them like an impatient parent, and Reid swore loudly, not even using the effort to look back. Tyler rolled his eyes, digging into his pocket to pull out a crumpled packet of cigarettes, immediately handing one to Reid. The blonde put it between his lips with a sigh of relief, losing most of the tension in his shoulders already.

"I need beer," he groaned, his hands fidgeting as he imagined clenching a cool bottle. Tyler laughed and headed down one of the many pathways that lead back into the main street, and quickly spotted an off-license down the road.

"There you go," he called, pointing towards it. Reid tutted at Tyler's lack of motivation to get the beer himself, and hurried over to the small shop. Tyler leant against the wall with his foot up against it, waiting for Reid's return. He put his own cigarette between his teeth, and fished around for his lighter – then cursed when he couldn't find it.

"Need a light?" Startled, Tyler looked up to see a girl at the bottom of the path, her face hidden by the shadow of the houses. All he could see was her long, dark hair and the glint of her eyes.

"Sure," he replied slowly, taking the cigarette from between his lips and holding it out to the girl, like an offering. She swaggered forward, whipping out her lighter. Now that she was closer, he could see the gentle curl of her midnight brown hair, and the stunning warmth of her earth-brown eyes. She was clad in the typical biker gear, right down to the leather gloves on her hands; what was more unusual - unsettling - was the gun that was sat comfortably at her hip. Tyler realised she was older than he had assumed, perhaps older than him.

"_Riot!"_ someone called and the girl dipped back into the alleyway, shouting something incomprehensible back. Tyler took a deep drag, revelling in the sensation of the smoke going down into his lungs and back up again. The girl laughed then faced the youngest Son again,

"Riot?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The girl smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "That's a weird name."

"I guess it is. I'm assuming yours is plain standard then?" she replied, sounding vaguely American.

"Tyler Simms." It was a habit of the Sons to introduce themselves with their full names, but he was surprised when he got a similar reaction to the ones he received back home.

"Oh, so _you're _Tyler Simms!" she laughed and pranced forwards, loosening up straight away. "You and your friends are the newbies, right? You came with Ryanne?" Tyler nodded, wondering whether everyone knew each other here.

"Word gets around, Tyler Simms," Riot said, deciphering his thoughts. "I've got to dash but I'm sure I'll see you _very _soon." Waving her fingers at him, she disappeared down into the main street, leaving Tyler alone and dazed. Shaking his head, he continued to smoke and wait for Reid, resting back against the wall so he could stare up into the sky.

Tyler couldn't shake the feeling that the Sons were being dragged down by an unforeseeable weight and had no idea when they would hit the bottom. The whole family had always worn their status, power and wealth around their necks for the world to see: a chain of arrogance – but now Tyler realised their mistake. The chain had become a noose, tightening as they fell. If they weren't careful – and they weren't being careful at all - their necks would break from the weight of their own oblivion, and not even Using would save them.


	15. A Man Is Known By The Company He Hits

_2012: rewrite._

_I have recieved over three thousand hits in the past half a month alone for this story, yet have only had one review! Please let me know what you think? Shameless begging, I know, but it would really help if I knew what people wanted to see in this rewrite. _

_This chapter, as it always was, is mostly a transition chapter (it's an ironic transition if you put two and two together) as well as establishing a new character who was introduced in the previous chapter. _

_There are some motivations/conversations that I have gotten rid off/radically changed, due to improving characterisation. I'm very aware that Ryanne has extremely Mary Sue-like behaviour, and I am trying to reduce that._

_I tried to catch all the grammar/spelling mistakes I could, but hey, I'm at work. I really should be doing some filing or something._

_much love,_

_- dresdenlace_

* * *

**15**

**A Man is Known by the Company He Hits**

* * *

Reid slugged from his third bottle of beer as the Sons waited for Ryanne and the others to lock up the house. Tyler blew smoke at the blonde, ignoring the deadpan looks of Caleb as he did so.

"How long is this going to take?" Reid grumbled, dropping the now empty bottle at his feet, not even noticing as it smashed into thick shards. Pogue snarled at him to show some respect but Reid ignored him. Ryanne, hearing the complaint, rolled her eyes at her half-brother; he smiled at her apparent light heartedness as she slipped her door key into her back pocket and jumped down the steps.

"Can someone get us a car?" she called out to the evening air, sweeping her hair away from her face. The Sons looked at each other in confusion and Nael laughed, seeing their expressions.

"You didn't think that Jace would let us come here _alone, _did you?"

"You're not alone…" Nael laughed again at Pogue's unsure reply.

"In their eyes we are. Us lot are Jace's closest, and the gang is on red alert right now. We've probably got about eight guards on us."

"At least," Ryanne added with a smile, having grown used to Jace's paranoia many years ago. Pogue surveyed her, taking in just how exhausted and drained she looked. _It's been a long day, _he thought. He stepped towards her and his arms twitched as if he was tempted to bring them around her narrow shoulders, but instead they hung uselessly at his side. Ryanne titled her head, trying to figure him out as he stared at her, seeming incredibly forlorn.

"What was that back there?" Pogue finally asked her. She shrugged, looking twice her age as she ran a hand over her face.

"I never really… _accepted _my mother's death before. I guess I have now." Pogue looked away, unsure, but then made a snap decision and pulled the redhead into a loose hug. Ryanne laughed at his obviously uncomfortable expression and gave him a quick squeeze.

"I'll be okay," she said in response to his unasked question. "Don't you worry about me."

"Ah, see, I can't promise that," he replied. "I'm your brother, I'm meant to worry."

"Mmm," was all Ryanne said back, watching him with a quirk of a smile. She was starting to think that maybe things _could _be okay, and that maybe – just maybe - she get used to being a Parry.

"Oi!" someone called from down the pathway. "Get a wiggle on!" Vesper and Ryanne snickered, leaving the alleyway with the others behind them. There were two cars parked waiting for them, both as run down as the two that had picked them up from the airport. Scar was leaning against the hood, but Ryanne went up to the gangster that had shouted at them.

"Raj!" she scolded jokingly, "since when were you so impatient?" The guard grinned as Ryanne smacked him on the arm, then ruffled her hair, easily a head taller than her. The two of them teased each other as they made their way over to the cars, while Nael went over to the second vehicle, climbing into the front seat and starting a conversation with the driver. Vesper lurked by Ryanne, smiling when Raj pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"You alright?" Scar asked the redhead.

"Yeah, I am." Scar watched her for a second as if trying to decide whether he believed her not. Ryanne sighed and shook her head at his stare. "I'm starved, can we go?"

"Sure, babe, anythin' you want. In you get."

"Bit tight," Ryanne noted, gesturing towards the two cars which were already half full from the gang-members. Scar shot her a look and she realised that there was more to come, and that Scar was _not _impressed. The redhead grinned, knowing that there was only one girl in the world who could make Scar look like that.

"Daniela's here, ain't she?" Scar's expression was all the confirmation she needed, and she let out a great cackle, instantly perking up. "Where?"

"She'll be here any minute. She's got some new wheels." Ryanne sniggered again at his tone, assuming that her old friend was going to be turning up in something went against everything _Brethren _aim for: flashy, expensive, new and _very _conspicuous.

"Where did she get them from then?" Vesper asked, jumping into the conversation.

"You know she's been in Mexico City for a couple months, helping them sort out some underworld shit. Apparently the boss liked her so much, he got her a few trinkets. A fuckin' Jaguar XF apparently counts as a _trinket_. Oh look, 'ere she is." The group turned to watch as a sleek grey car pulled up to the curb, overtly standing out from the rest of the vehicles. Tyler did a double take when he saw who got out of the driver's seat.

"Riot!" Ryanne pushed past the Sons to be swept into a hug by the shorter girl, both of them immediately bursting into childish giggles. Vesper hovered on the edge, and Tyler could see how hesitant she was despite the smile on her young face.

"I couldn't believe it when they told me you were back already!" Riot exclaimed, kissing the redhead on the cheek. "I was gonna drop in on you while I was up there actually, but then I got the call to come back here. Good thing too, or I would have missed you."

"I haven't seen you in ages," Ryanne sighed, pulling away from her to open the car door. Vesper looked expectantly at the Sons, and Tyler immediately stepped forward though his attention was on Riot and not the younger girl. Reid followed him in while the other two went with Scar, exchanging unimpressed looks as they did so.

"We'll go catch some grub," Scar called through the window has he pulled up beside the Jaguar. "See you back at the shack." He drove off, wheels kicking up dirt as he went. Everyone climbed in and Riot took off, speeding through the narrow streets. Ryanne turned in the passenger seat to gesture to the two Sons as she introduced them.

"Riot, this is Reid Garwin and-"

"Tyler Simms," Riot finished with a smirk, glancing at him through the rear view mirror. Ryanne frowned at them both in confusion.

"Wait, you two know each other?"

"Yep, we met about half an hour ago. I would have come and got you, but I wanted you to see my new wheels." Ryanne didn't reply, settling instead for a heated glare; Riot saw the look and flinched, using one hand to block the redhead from view as she continued to keep her eyes on the road.

"Oh no, not _The Look!" _she cried. "Ves', help me!"

Silence.

Ryanne turned in her seat, dropping her glare in favour of an expression of open concern, while Riot grumpily put her hand back on the wheel, displeased that she had been ignored. Vesper was sat looking out the window with her chin resting on her palm, looking distinctly miserable.

"Vesper, sweetie, what's the matter?" Ryanne asked in the softest of voices as if she were a mother cooing to her child. The brunette ignored her and Riot exchanged a bewildered look with Ryanne as she pulled up to the curb. Vesper immediately threw open the car door and darted out, her young face stony. Riot grumbled to herself as she pulled the key out of the ignition, patting her new car with adoration as she locked it behind her. Tyler and Reid looked around them having expected to be back at the hospital, but instead found themselves in front of a rundown building at the back of a large street alcove. There were various gang members crowding around the entrance but this time there were no civilians or police officers in sight. This was the _Brethren _Headquarters.

Ryanne and Riot huddled together, conversing quietly under their breaths while Vesper stormed into the house, ignoring the looks the various guards shot her as she pushed past them.

"What's up with her?" Reid murmured but Tyler just shrugged. The two expected to be shown into the building, but their usual guides where too busy gossiping by the car, Ryanne shrugging a lot as Riot hissed at her.

Soon the other two cars pulled up, Caleb and Pogue hurrying over to their Covenant brothers while Scar strode towards to the two girls, motioning for them to get into the house with a stern look. Ryanne rolled her eyes and waved the Sons over, practically shoving them into the building.

"Hope you're hungry," Riot said to them, eying up the mounds of plastic bags Scar and the others were carrying. "Or should I say, I hope you're hungry for Chinese."

When they entered the building, they were quickly shown through to the back past a rickety staircase and a scattering of rooms. There was another building at the back, a small hall really. It was in there that most of the gang were now gathered, music playing and rows of beer lining the tables. The windows and back door were boarded up, only allowing for one way in and out, and it was through this that the newcomers went, creating a mound of takeaway food for the others to dive into. People were laughing and dancing, the atmosphere incredibly relaxed despite the tension the past few days had caused.

"I'll talk to you later, Daniela," Ryanne called as she disappeared into the crowds with Scar at her side. Riot waved at her in return, remaining with the Sons as she picked up a beer, taking a deep gulp.

"Daniela, huh?" Tyler asked her, breaking the silence. She smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, Riot's my street name, see?"

"Riot," Reid repeated flatly.

"Yeah, because I'm such a riot!" she replied with exaggerated enthusiasm, making Reid roll his eyes and stroll away. Pogue and Caleb, not interested in the conversation, hovered by the food, talking between themselves.

Ryanne scanned the crowd for Jace and sighed tiredly when she couldn't find him. Scar pulled her to his shoulder, dropping a peck on her temple.

"I thought he was going to be here," she whined at him as he took a sip of beer. He nodded and to began to look around.

"He is here. Doctors let him out because he's _so _persuasive," he drawled, making Ryanne snigger quietly.

"Yeah, armed gang leader has a tendency to bring people around to his way of thinking," she retorted, Scar laughing as he pulled her to him tighter.

"Stop worrin'," he chided, taking a longer gulp of his drink. Ryanne sighed, leaning against him as she rubbed at her eyes, enjoying the familiar scent of Scar's leather jacket.

"Tired, baby?" Ryanne whipped around to see Jace behind her, a soft grin on his face as the lights caught his golden hair, giving him a halo. Pulling out of Scar's embrace, Ryanne threw her arms around him, forgetting his injuries. Scar smiled and slunk off into the crowd, though he still kept an eye on his charge.

"Easy there, girl," Jace groaned as his shoulder twinged from Ryanne's weight. The redhead blushed and stepped away, starting to fuss over his sling. Her hands hovered over Jace's bandaged shoulder and as she leant in to inspect it, Jace saw the deep shadows under her eyes and the gauntness of her cheeks.

"You're exhausted," he murmured, reaching out to stroke his thumb across her cheekbone, but Ryanne slapped his hand away.

"Shut up, Jace," she snapped.

"You need to sleep, babe, you're running on fumes." Ryanne glared at him bitterly and Jace met her gaze square on. "Don't do that, you know I'm right."

"Says the one who's been _shot." _Jace sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"I'm just trying to look out for you," he breathed, attempting to pull her to him but she struggled out of his grip. He narrowed his eyes at her, recognising the flash of irritation and devastation that passed across her vision.

"I'm not yours to look out for anymore, Jace," she retorted, though her voice had lost the fire and instead she sounded close to tears. He could see that was almost swaying on her feet, physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Look, I'm going to go…" she stepped away. "I'll speak to you later."

"Ryanne, don't do that," Jace tried but she cut him off.

"I just can't do this right now."

"You were fine a moment ago!" he pleaded, not believing he was losing her again so soon after getting her back.

"I just need some time to think things through, alright? I'll see you later." Pivoting on her heel, Ryanne moved between the dancing crowd and out through the doorway.

"Scar!" Jace shouted and immediately the music was turned down, guards pulling out weapons at the tone of their boss's voice. Scar raced forwards, instinctively on the defensive. "Follow her! We're on red alert; I can't have her out there alone!" Scar nodded and left straight away, his own team following close behind.

The tension in the air was thick and brittle as the gang observed their leader's anger and frustration. Jace was furious at the situation for making him unable to follow the girl himself, Ryanne because attitude pissing him off _yet again,_ and his own inability to control her any longer.

"What's going on?" Pogue demanded as he marched over to Jace, the other three Sons behind him. Really not having the energy to deal with Ryanne's newfound half-brother at that moment in time, Jace turned his back on him.

"Jace, don't be rude," Nael scolded, stepping up to the group. The blonde just sneered at him, uninterested in manners.

"I don't have time for you right now," he growled, pushing past him to get to the door, but Nael caught his arm and tugged him round. Jace, not thinking, pulled back his first and punched his friend as hard as he could. Nael, taken completely off guard, cried out as he stumbled and landed heavily on his back on the floor. Blood was already gushing between his fingers as he held his hands up against his face, eyes screwed shut against the pain.

"Don't tell me how to do my job," Jace hissed at him, aware that the hall was now deathly silent.

"I wasn't!" Nael insisted, voice muffled. Riot and Vesper made their way through the uncertain crowd and dropped down beside him, Vesper fussing while Riot pulled his hands away to see the damage.

"You've broken his nose!" she accused, and it was clear to see that Jace was not and had never been one of her favourite people. "What a great damn leader you are!"

"Don't you start," Jace spat back. "You bailed on us as soon as you got the chance." Riot was unable to think of a response and instead just gave him the finger.

"Jace, don't do this," Vesper begged as she made her way to him, already starting to cry. She couldn't stand it when everyone fought; Jace, Nael, Ryanne – even Riot – made up her family! What did she have if she didn't have them?

Jace snapped his gaze down to her, eyes livid and bitter; but when he saw those big, grey eyes pleading up at him, his expression softened and he ran a hand through her hair. Vesper was like a little sister to him – she was small, fragile, unstable; too good for this world, easy to break.

"Sorry, Ves'," he apologised, only for her to hear. Straightening up, Jace shot Nael one last look – it was full of loathing and regret, for Nael was not the true cause of his emotional conflict – and left the building, leaving everyone behind.

He walked until he came across the little bridge that crossed the stream, the soft bubbling of water already beginning to soothe him. The moon was out, bright and bold, the stars shining through the grey clouds. Staring up into the sky gave Jace the stability that he needed, the ever constant velvet void becoming his rock; his heart slowed and he began to feel the ache in his knuckles from striking his friend so hard. Guilt was already swarming up his throat but he knew that Nael would understand: it wasn't the first time that he had hit the man, and Jace still had the small scar on his eyebrow from when their roles had been reversed.

"Help me," he whispered, not knowing who or what he was praying to. Scared by his own confession, Jace forced the words out. "I don't know what to do anymore."


	16. All Is Fair In Love And Hate

_2012: rewrite_

_I have shortened this chapter by quite a lot, because there was a lot of 'stuff' in Ryanne's section of the chapter. Rereading it through, I really disliked it, and anyway, it didn't match up with the motivation/charaterisation changes I made in the previous chapter. The end result is still the same, but it's just shorter and more to point. Less Mary-Sue, hopefully._

_- dresdenlace_

* * *

**16**

**All Is Fair In Love and Hate**

* * *

The Sons watched as the crowd drifted past them, the once cheerful atmosphere dissipating, leaving behind an uneasy tension. Riot had directed most of the gang out of the hall and into the main building, as Vesper fetched Nael an icepack for his nose, titling his head back while the brunette fussed over him, stroking his hair away from his face.

"Where has she gone?" Pogue asked Riot for the fifth time, slamming his first down onto the table he was stood beside to emphasis his impatience. Riot glanced up at him in thinly veiled irritation while she collected the forgotten beer bottles that were scattered across all surfaces.

"_I don't know!" _she snapped, coming to her feet and walking away, fed up with his attitude. Pogue scowled but didn't make a move to follow her, instead turning back to the other three. Reid was still nursing a half-empty bottle of beer that was now lukewarm from his grip, while Tyler fidgeted with the empty packet of cigarettes in his pocket.

"Should we go after her?" he asked idly, finally giving up and throwing the packet into the bin beside him.

"How will we know where she's gone?" Pogue asked back, and Tyler shrugged.

"Use," Reid murmured as if it was obvious, taking one last swallow of the beer before letting it drop into the rubbish. Caleb shot him a dark look that only made Reid shrug.

"We're not Using to find Ryanne. She'll come back."

"Whatever, it was just a suggestion," the blonde retorted, not sober enough to get upset with Caleb's tone.

"She'll come back," Pogue repeated to himself, looking out of the doorway into the night. He was so tired; he couldn't believe that they had only been in London for a few hours, less than a day! Yet, no matter how exhausted he was, he felt wired, desperate to know where his half-sister had gone. He wasn't sure why he felt so frantic about her disappearance, but something just didn't feel right to him.

Reid sighed and moved away from the others, walking out into the gardens. He glanced over to where he knew Jace had been standing only a few moments ago but now he was gone, the shadows having swept him away. A part of him wondered where Ryanne had gone, but then he reminded himself that he didn't care. Her life and safety had nothing to do with him.

He still wondered though.

* * *

Ryanne dragged her feet as she wandered along the pavement, keeping her eyes on the ground. The night was cool and crisp, the moon bright as it danced behind the trees and city skyscrapers. Even here, separate from the main centre of London, she could hear the buzz and hum of chatter and cars as the city-dwellers continued on with their lives. It made the stoic quiet of this part of town feel very isolated, though Ryanne knew she was never alone. Even now she knew she was being followed, probably by Scar and his team. It didn't bother her as much as it used to, but she still longed for the peace of being by herself when she chose to be.

That was why she had run from the hall. Being followed by three or four guards while being out in the open was a lot better than being surrounded by the majority of the _Brethren, _Jace breathing down her neck at all times. She knew that he was just trying to look out for her, but sometimes his attention felt like asphyxiation. She knew what would happen if she let him continue down the path he was heading towards it had happened before, and she would become totally and completely dependent on him: and she would be damned if she lost her independence now.

Walking these streets was like walking through time. Each bench, each tree, each old parked car was as familiar to her as her own reflection. She knew this town better than she knew herself. There was nothing new anymore, nothing exciting. Before she had thought it was comforting being somewhere that she knew and could predict, but now it was just draining. She needed to get out of this town before it consumed her completely.

A raindrop landed on her cheek and she looked up, realising that the stars had been hidden by a blanket of grey clouds. Rain began to fall, heavy and hard, and Ryanne cursed as she ducked under the nearest tree. In her haste get away from Jace and the hall, she hadn't picked up her jacket and was already beginning to shiver as the rain fell.

She stared through the night mist down the street opposite her: this street went directly through her heart, the wound made fresh only today. In her mindless wandering, her feet had brought her back to her own home.

Despite being here only hours before, the house – a clone of every other – looked even more… _familiar. _Rarely had she come home while the sun was still out, only getting the courage or opportunity to crawl through the back door when the moon was out. Her mum would have helped her move through the hallway, making sure that Richard wasn't disturbed – though in his drunken stupor, little less than a hurricane would have woken him.

Vesper used to live next door, which is how they met. Her mother, pretty Penelope, had a kind heart and often let Ryanne sit at their dining room table and share their dinner. When Penny got ill, she had moved away to live with her sister, leaving Vesper behind to fend for herself, knowing that she would be well looked after by the _Brethren. _Many thought it a reckless and almost abusive decision to make, but Ryanne knew that Penny had made the most sensible choice: she didn't have the money to pay for a house or food for the child, but knew that Jace would keep a roof over her head and food in her belly. That was all she could ask for.

Hurrying down the narrow pathway and into the alley, Ryanne slipped out the door key and quickly let herself into the house. As she climbed the steps, she peered back down the alleyway and thought she caught sight of a flash of a blade through the rain; she shut the door.

She had been unable to even think of her childhood home for weeks. Now she had gone inside twice in one day.

It was the same as it had been this morning; smelt a lot better too. She kicked past the debris in the hallway, swiftly moving past the kitchen. Her hand swept along the wall, the dust gathering on her fingertips as she went. Her steps got slower, more hesitant as she delved deeper into the house, unable to see even two feet in front of her.

Her fingers caught on the edge of a photo frame. She pulled her hand away and carried on; she stopped; she went back. The family pictures were hanging perfectly on the wall, the glass broken but the smiling faces behind were still the same. Her heart stopped. The photos hadn't been there before.

There was movement behind her. Slowly, as if her muscles had turned to ice, Ryanne turned to face the figure who had just exited the kitchen. There was a pause – then she ran.

Ryanne spun on her heel and raced into the living room, slamming the door behind her. Without thought, she darted into the second hallway, throwing herself into her mother's bedroom and closed the door. Backing away, her heart racing and her breathing laboured, Ryanne watched the door handle as if it held the last string of her sanity.

Footsteps; breathing; a quiet chuckle.

Teasingly – tauntingly – painfully – the handle turned and the door was pushed open.

"Oh, Ryanne," Richard sighed, shaking his head. "Anyone would think you didn't want to see me!"


	17. Boys Will Shoot Boys

_2012: rewrite. _

_Another shorter chapter, but I believe it's better. Once again, Richard's characterisation has been altered to make him more... human. Not just some psycho-evil killer for the sake of having an antagonist. He is now a 'sincere' if not psychologically disturbed individal, who has been desensitised to his own behaviour. He has got a strange, disturbing fascination and care for Ryanne, believing that she really is _his. _I've also changed it so he isn't an awesome marksmen, instead just having the luck to shoot at a small space and hit something._

_Anyway, you can read it yourselves. Let me know what you think, please!_

_- dresdenlace_

* * *

**17**

**Boys Will Shoot Boys**

* * *

He was exactly as she remembered. Tall, charismatic, imposing. There was a suave smile on his handsome face, his shoulders broad and strong. From the way he entered the room, one might think that he was there to save the redhead damsel, perhaps to sweep her off her feet and commit a series of dashing good deeds.

Ryanne knew differently.

"How is my beautiful step-daughter these days?" he asked as he unsteadily strode around the room, running his hand over the dresser and inspecting the dust that was left on his fingertips. When he received no reply, he glanced over his shoulder at the girl.

"Well?"

"I was fine until you turned up," she retorted through clenched teeth, not knowing whether she was being brave or foolish by doing so. Richard scowled and turned, marching over to her to stand so close that she had to look up to meet his gaze. He reached out a hand and she instinctively flinched, but he just gently ran it through her hair, brushing it over her shoulder - and then he gripped it tightly in his fist, tugging her head back to stare down at her, their noses were almost touching.

"_Manners!" _he spat and Ryanne flinched, trying to turn away but his grasp was unrelenting. "Apologise."

She didn't want to, but that look in his eye and the power in his grip made her swallow and think twice. When his hold tightened, she forced herself to stutter out an answer, hoping it would appease him.

"I – I'm sorry." It was just a whisper but it seemed to do the trick. Richard sighed and let her go, pulling the lazy, drunken smile back onto his face.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He even affectionately ruffled her hair before stepping away, investigating the curtains with apparently genuine interest. Ryanne clenched her hands into fists as she watched him. While his back was turned, she took a step back... and then another… and another. Just as she begun to chant to herself that she was nearly free, the floorboard squeaked, prompting Richard to look up at her, effortlessly freezing her on the spot.

"Going somewhere?" he asked her innocently, but she could see how his eyes were flat, wild. Ryanne shook her head despite herself, cursing her learned obedience. Richard stalked towards her like a panther approaching its next meal. "I don't recall telling you that you could move, my pet." Softly, as if afraid she would break, Richard wrapped his long, sturdy fingers around her arm; there was a pause as he stared deep into her eyes. Ryanne liked to think that she saw regret behind his swollen pupils, but she knew from the faint tang of alcohol on his breath that he was past regretting anything. Maybe he wasn't fully drunk, but he wasn't sober either, and in her book that was the same thing. Not that Richard was any more pleasant when he was clean.

The moment passed and Richard used his grip to swing Ryanne around to the other side of the room, effectively destroying her chance of escape. The redhead stumbled and fell back into the dresser, catching herself on the rim while she stared wide-eyed at her step-father, trying to predict what his next move would be.

"You have a habit of getting away from me, little girl. I don't understand why. Do you not want to spend time with me?" She didn't answer, but this time he wasn't intent on getting an answer, and continued his soliloquy. "Thing is, Ryanne, we're all each other have got now, don't you see? With your mother gone, we need to look out for each other. You're my step-daughter and I'm not just going to let you walk away from me – in fact, I'm hurt that you would want to leave! We've all made mistakes, but you can't just leave when things get rough, my pet. If you think you can run off with your little American friends, then you are sorely mistaken. Your biological father has got nothing on me. Where has he been these past years? He hasn't seen you grow up, he hasn't put a roof over your head, he hasn't protected you and homed you! I've sacrificed a lot for you, little girl."

Ryanne couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was now one hundred percent positive that Richard had lost his mind. It was as if he had completely forgotten that he had _murdered _his wife, not to mention the countless years of abuse and torment he put them both through. Instead of responding, knowing that he wouldn't appreciate her honesty, she instead tried to come up with an escape plan. Why on earth had she decided to go to her childhood home _alone_ when she knew that Richard was still on the prowl? It was the height of stupidity. When Jace found out about her silly idea –

Wait.

Jace had sent guards after her: she _wasn't_ alone. Right now, there were a handful of armed and trained _Brethren _members surrounding the house, she was sure of it. Scar wouldn't leave her alone for one moment, and so would just be outside waiting for her to leave.

Taking a deep breath to focus her thoughts, Ryanne waited while Richard continued his mindless monologue as he took a closer look at his own bedroom, though he didn't seem to notice to the blood stain on the carpet. As soon as his back was turned, she sprung forwards and sprinted down the hallway to practically kick open the door into the living room. Richard bellowed her name which sounded more like an animalistic roar and began to chase after her, his heavy footsteps making the entire house rattle. Not stopping, the redhead ran down the hall, almost tripping over the mess on the floor, but managed to catch hold of the back door handle. Just as she pulled open the door, Richard's hands came around her stomach, using all of his weight to drag her back. Unable to do much else, Ryanne let out a shrill scream.

"_Scar!" _she screamed again, praying that he was outside. Richard kicked the door shut and threw her to the ground, her head smacking off the kitchen doorway just enough to make her see stars. Her step-father sighed, standing over her as if she were his latest kill. _Probably will be, _she thought bitterly to herself as she stared up at him.

"You shouldn't have done that," he told her, before reaching down to grab her by the hair and tugged her to her feet. Ryanne yelped and frantically tried to push him away. Reaching out, she scratched her nails down his face, making him hiss and shove her away. She stumbled against the hall and immediately began to back up, her hands against the wall as she watched him advance. He lurched unsteadily but gained his footing, backhanding her roughly before she could run.

"You're a little bitch!" he complained, slamming her head into the wall again, watching as she tumbled to the floor. "Why can't you just be a good girl?" Ignoring her struggles, he came to his knees, straddling her waist to stop her from moving. He reached behind him and pulled out a gun, waving it threateningly in her face.

_What the hell? _Ryanne thought to herself in gasps and she stopped her struggling, afraid of provoking him into using the previously concealed weapon. Richard sighed again and ran a hand through his short hair, resting on the girl's waist and Ryanne whimpered from the weight on her pelvis.

Suddenly the back door was kicked in and Ryanne saw shapes appear at the end of the hall. She huffed a breath of relief, hoping that the threat of company would be enough to make Richard run.

"Get away from her!" Scar snarled, squinting to see into the dark hallway. There was little to no light in the house and the night offered even less. All he could see was the hunched over shape at the bottom of the hall, and even though he had his gun pointed at the shadow, he was terrified that he might shoot Ryanne by mistake. He could feel the other two behind him, and cursed at their luck: the hall was incredibly narrow, the front door boarded up, and half of his team were out doing a perimeter search because he – like the fool he was – believed that Ryanne would be safe inside the house for the time being and wouldn't need all of them outside for the entire night.

"This isn't your business!" Richard snapped, sounding very much put out. He turned and pointed his gun under his arm, which went unseen by Scar due to the darkness.

"Don't make me repeat myself," Scar barked, but his usual intimidation went unheeded by the drunken and psychotic Richard who just rolled his eyes and pulled the trigger. Ryanne screamed out a warning but it was too late, and Scar was thrown backwards from the force striking his chest. His two teammates caught him and tried to pull him out of the house, but the door had been knocked closed when their combined weight had fallen against it. Richard pulled the trigger again and again and again and again, until finally the other two went down, tumbling back against the door, succeeding in keeping it closed. Ryanne stared in horror at the scene and then back at Richard's shadowed face: he seemed entirely uninterested in his latest kill, and this only served to infuriate her.

"_Murderer!" _she screamed, kicking and hitting out as hard as she could. Richard grunted and caught her fists, using his weight to stop her kicks. He raised the gun and struck Ryanne in the temple, that she slumped to the ground, dazed and blinking uselessly at the ceiling. Satisfied that she wasn't going to kick him again, Richard got to his feet and heaved the girl into his arms. He walked unsteadily back through the house and into the master bedroom, being very careful not to bang his step-daughter's head on the door as he went. When he reached the room, he gently lowered her onto the bed, taking the time to smooth back her hair.

"You're all mine now, my pet."


	18. Live And Let Die

_2012: rewrite._

_Unlike my previous rewritten chapters, this chapter has doubled in length. I have to say, this chapter was a total bitch to rewrite, no word of a lie. If you are a veteran IIYB reader, then you may notice the radical changes between the original version and this version of the chapter. One the biggest differences is, yet again, Richard's characterisation. I am trying to make him a more realistic character, not just the evil antagonist for the sake of having a bad guy. I've also tried to clear up Ryanne's, Riot's and Jace's characterisation, with adding some hints of Pogue's perspective too, seeing as the Sons were totally absent from this chapter originally. _

_Anyway! Long story short, it's better, it's longer, and I hope you like it. For some reason, the ff editor doesn't like it when I use italics and so it deletes all the spaces, so apologies if you spot any mistakes. I have read it over, but quickly, so feel free to point out any grammar/spelling mistakes! _

_Two last things: a) I've changed my username to 'youholdupthesky' and I've titled this series 'This, Our Chaos' for a few reasons._

_That's, it. Much love._

* * *

**18**

**Live and Let Die**

* * *

It was now past two in the morning, and Pogue was beginning to panic. Despite countless phone calls and two scouts, there was still no word from Ryanne or the guards that had followed her. Unsettled, he was pacing in front of the boarded windows, dragging a hand through his long hair and having an internal argument with himself about what to do and why he was so wound up.

"Calm down," Caleb murmured, raising a reassuring hand. Pogue just shot him a look, not having the heart to verbally shoot him down, nor the patience to agree with him. Perhaps the reason that he was so on edge was because Ryanne was _his _responsibility: his father had trusted him with her safety when they left for London, and now he felt like he had already failed him on the first day. Whether or not he… _appreciated _the way in which she had been born into his family, she was still his sister – and brothers got worried when their sisters went missing in strange cities.

"Yeah, come on, Pogue. She knows this place, she'll be fine," Tyler added. Pogue sighed and faced his Covenant brothers, trying to take their advice.

"I know she does but…" Maybe he would have been calmer about the situation if it wasn't for the others working themselves up into a frenzy, Jace cursing and directing his gang around as if they were his soldiers while Riot ran out of the hall and barked commands at any passerby. Despite his broken nose, Nael was trying his hardest to placate Vesper who appeared as if she was about to burst into tears, ripping at her brown locks while she rocked back and forth in his arms.

Just as Pogue stopped his pacing, one of the gang ran into the hall and practically threw his phone at Jace.

"Boss! Vice just called – him and Jack went to do a perimeter, and now they can't get hold of Scar!" Jace snatched up the phone and all those in the vicinity paused to listen to the conversation.

"Why did you separate?" Jace snarled, unusually vicious. A few of his audience exchanged worried looks, knowing that their leader didn't openly let his anger show unless he was seriously upset. Riot slipped back into the crowd, moving to stand beside Tyler as she studied the scene before her. Whatever the response was made Jace sigh and scrub a hand down his face. The blonde gangster forced himself to take the emotion out of his voice, careful to put up the necessary front that his guards needed to see, lest they think he had lost his ability to lead.

"Vice, explain to me exactly what happened, from the beginning," Jace commanded, putting the phone on the table in front of him and turning it on loudspeaker.

"_At first, Ry' didn't seem to have no destination in mind an' we just followed her down the back way – Racket Street, y'know the way – but then it started to tip it down an' she ran to her 'ouse. Once Scar was sure that she was gonna stay there, he told me an' Jack to do a Perimeter. We didn't go no call sayin' there was anythin' wrong, but when we go back, they'd left their positions."_

"Have you tried calling them?" Jace asked.

_"Yeah, boss, but we ain't gettin' no answer. Total radio silence."_

"Have you tried to enter the house?"

"_No, we're awaitin' your orders, boss."_

"Hold your positions. I'm sending out a team to meet you. Make sure no one leaves or enters the premises until our people get there, understood?"

_"Aye, boss." _The phoned clicked dead, and Jace threw it back to its owner. Riot slunk forward, leaning her hands on the table to stare Jace in the eye.

"I'll get her," she promised. "Let me go, Jace." He stared down at her, his expression unreadable for a few seconds. Riot glanced at his bandaged shoulder, then over to Nael where he stood with a broken nose and a young teen in his arms. Jace sighed, understanding her look perfectly: he was in no fit state to go after Ryanne.

"Radio silence is bad, Jace," she insisted. "Whether it's a civilian attack or something else, this is _bad." _Her voice was hushed, low and intended only for Jace's ears, but Pogue heard and it made his blood run cold. He knew he never should have let his half-sister leave his sight. Finally, Jace answered.

"Take your team to her house. I want another team to do a point five radius scout, just in case anyone has already left. Take Rhys, you might need a medic." Riot nodded, standing up straight with a glint in her eye.

"I'm coming," Pogue said with unwavering finality as he stepped up to the pair, his hands clenched into clammy fists at his side. Jace immediately snapped his gaze to him, his glare like fire as he sized him up.

"You'll get in the way," he argued, but Pogue shook his head, determined to follow Riot and her group. If something happened to Ryanne, he didn't want to have to admit to Wayne that he hadn't done anything to try and stop it.

"I'll keep them out of trouble," Riot soothed, tying her long hair out of the way. "Come on, we need to leave." Jace shot Pogue another sharp glare, but said nothing as he turned away to grab his jacket. Riot made a kind of protesting whine in the back of her throat, as if she wanted to voice an objection, but she stopped herself and instead watched in silence as Jace ripped off his sling and bandages from his shoulder, leaving only one red-spotted square covering his wound; he then slid his arm into the jacket, clenching his jaw as his stitches pulled from the movement.

"Is this another ambush?" the guard who had given Jace his phone asked.

"It might be," Jace answered, checking his gun out of habit, despite having already admitted that he wouldn't be able to join the rescue team. "It might not be." This was enough for the gang, and they efficiently began breaking into their designated teams. Two males and a female ran up to Riot, looking at her appreciatively, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"It's nice to see you again, team leader," said one male called Rhys, slapping a hand on Riot's shoulder. The brunette shot him a faint smile, and the other two said their greetings.

"Roll out," Jace called, and the gang dispersed, murmuring amongst themselves. Riot and Jace exchanged some quick words before Riot directed her team out, gesturing that the Sons should follow.

"Do we all have to go?" Reid complained, and Pogue shot him a violent glower.

"Stay behind then," he hissed. "I don't even fucking care." He stormed off, and Reid rolled his eyes, but followed behind regardless. Tyler jogged to catch up with Riot, hoping she wouldn't mind him talking to her as she directed her group towards Ryanne's home.

"What do _you _think happened?" he asked her, and she shrugged, pulling her jacket tighter against the cold. Tyler saw the gun that was tucked into her chest holster, and he wondered – not for the first time – what exactly the Sons had gotten themselves into.

"One of two things: either it's the gang that attacked Jace and Nael earlier, or… well, we'll just see when we get there. I'm sure they're all fine though, so tell your mate to stop his worrying." Tyler glanced over his shoulder to see what Riot was seeing: Pogue had drained of all colour, looking older and more like his father than ever before. The youngest Son knew that he was resisting the urge to Use to find his half-sister, and admired his stamina.

"You're not worried or anything? Everyone else seems pretty… nervous." Riot nodded, directing the group into the shadows, away from the street lamps.

"Everyone's on edge because their leader got shot by a rival – and God damn _brutal_ – gang, and they're targeting civilians… I'm sure you've been told this before. Ryanne is important to Jace and Jace is important to them, so that explains that. Thing is, if something does go down, it's not Ryanne I'm worried for, but Scar."

"Why?"

"Because if there was a gun fight or whatever, Scar – or his team – will be the ones stepping in the way, not Ry'. She's just a civilian, she's not trained or anything; she ain't gonna be running in front of a bullet anytime soon. The only way she'd get hurt is if she does something stupid or… we'll see." Sensing that the conversation as over, Tyler stepped back to fall in line with Reid, the two of them exchanging dark looks.

It wasn't long before they reached the same street that Sons had been introduced to only hours previously. Most of the lamps were broken, only a few plumes of weak light interrupting the shadow from the more habitable houses. Riot unsheathed her gun, holding it at chest height and her team copied the action as they crept into the alleyway, stalking up to Ryanne's family home. Rhys motioned for the Sons to remain in the alley, while the _Brethren _members silently approached the back door.

Just before they got to the door, Riot turned and peered down the alleyway, squinting through the darkness. She waved up a hand, beckoning someone down; within seconds, two young men had appeared, evidently the two guards that had broken off from Scar's group. Not a word was said, but they automatically fell into line, their own weapons raised and pointed towards the door. With a nod to everyone, Riot tried the door handle, assuming correctly that Ryanne had left it unlocked. It opened, but hit something on the other side.

"I can't get in," she breathed, waving up her team. They huddled around the door while the Sons waited in the alley, watching them carefully. One of the team, a tall, muscular man by the name of Conner, put his shoulder to the door and shoved. It moved open another inch, just enough for Riot to slide her hand down the gap and feel whatever was blocking the passage. Her eyes widened and she shot an alarmed look to Conner who unlocked the safety catch of his gun in response.

"It's a person!" she whispered, contorting her arm to push it through the space. She felt a back, a shoulder, then a head, and her heart hammered in her chest. Conner pulled Riot to a stand to take her place and began to carefully push the body out of the way, gaining enough room for Riot to slip through.

"Oh God," Riot hissed. "It's all three of them, critically wounded!" There was no way for her to move the bodies without it creating a lot of noise, so she pressed up against the door to talk to Connor.

"I'm gonna go do a quick scout of the house," she whispered to him, and he reached inside the door to grab her hand.

"Be careful, team boss." He shot her wink through the gap.

"What about you?" she murmured.

"I'll try the windows, maybe the front door. If not, come and clear the way – if they're as bad as you say, it's gonna take more than Rhys to sort them out."

"If I don't come back straight away, maybe call an ambulance," she suggested as she stood, keeping her gun solid in her grip. "I'm sure I'll only be a few minutes, though. Keep quiet." Offering her team mate once last nod, Riot shook out her shoulders and carefully made her way down the cluttered hallway. She knew the layout of this house like the back of her hand, despite having been inside it only once or twice; she knew the people who lived here even more so.

As she entered the living room, she heard the sound of muffled voices. Taking extra care to silence her footfalls, Riot crept like a thief through the second hallway, keeping to the walls to avoid any potential creaking floorboards. When she got to Ryanne's mother's bedroom, she hovered by the door, holding her breath to hear what was being said inside.

"You're mine," she heard a man say. "You're _mine._"

She knew that voice. Like a hook in her gut, she knew that voice.

* * *

His hands were like manacles on her wrists, his breath warm on her cheek. Ryanne turned away from his stare, her body tight and stiff as she pulled away from his grip. Richard chuckled, stumbling away to wrap his fingers around a bottle of whiskey he had left in the house. Taking a deep gulp, he turned back to his step-daughter with a smile, and sat on the edge of the bed. Ryanne watched as he stroked her leg.

"You're my little pet," he told her quietly. "You're all mine." Ryanne scoffed and he looked saddened at her attitude.

"Why do you act this way?" he asked her, sounding so forlorn that Ryanne might, if she didn't know better, feel sorry for the man.

"You killed my mum!" she cried, sitting up in the bed. Richard lurched forwards, bloodshot eyes furious as he grabbed Ryanne by the throat and thrust his face in hers.

"_Lies!" _he snarled, his strong fingers blocking her airways as he shook her back and forth. "I loved your mother! _She left me – _and now you're the only one I have left… I'm the only one _you_have left, my pet." He calmed, turning his chokehold into a caress down her cheek. "Why do you resist me?"

"What do you expect to do?" she asked him, her voice acidic. "They know where I am, and they'll come here. You can't keep me locked up here forever."

"Ah yes, your little gang and their valiant leader, Jacey - and your new brother. They can come looking all they want, little pet, but you're not _theirs __to take!__" _He stood, his whiskey bottle sloshing as he gestured wildly with it, indicating the empty bedroom.

"They did not care for you as a child! They did not protect you, feed you, shelter you!" Ryanne laughed out loud, the sound humourless and cold.

"_Neither did you!" _Despite her best intentions, her eyes began to blur, crying from the stress, getting progressively more hysterical as she curled up on the bed. Richard tutted and gripped her wrist, dragging her up to a stand; he pressed his body against hers, using his free hand to smooth back her hair, tugging her head back so that he could look deep into her teary, green eyes.

"All I wanted was to teach you! I wanted you to _learn…_why can't you see how much I love you?" He lay a sloppy kiss on to the corner of her mouth, holding her to him as close as he could. Ryanne gagged but clenched her jaw, determined to not let him break her. When he got no response, he grunted and thrust her away from him; she tripped and stumbled into the bedside table, bringing the lamp crashing down. The sound made her jump and Richard spun, his expression pained.

Who was this man? Her step-father: the man that had come into her life at a young age, sweeping her mother of her feet and putting a smile on the lonely woman's face. At the start, Ryanne had thought that she loved this new father-figure. He was strong, intelligent, powerful, and he took good care of them both.

But then things started to change. Ryanne grew up and her mother gave up. Lily, the beautiful woman that she was, had many weaknesses, and Richard learned to prey on them. He used his strength, intelligence and power against them, keeping them locked in their own home, draining them of their money and their will to survive. Young Ryanne watched in silence as her mother faded beneath the stern hand of her husband, wilting until she was nothing but a soulless weed, an empty shell of who she used to be.

Now, the man that broken and killed her mother with a resolute finality, was demanding that she love him and accept him into her life – and only him. His obsession with her was newfound and disturbing, and she was terrified about where it would go if she didn't get away, soon.

It was then that from her position on the floor, Ryanne saw the door handle turn with a daunting delicacy. Was this it? Was someone here to save her? Was there anything left of her to be saved?

* * *

She didn't need to see his face: she knew it was him. The voice, the posture, the rough hands. Riot – _Daniela _– knew Richard oh too well, and even thinking of him made her shudder. Seeing him now, it broke all the walls that she had built over the years to protect herself. It broke them down in one second – and he didn't even know she was there.

Ryanne did though, and the two girls exchanged pregnant looks, both of them scared, both of them angry. Daniela put a finger to her lips and then crept into the room, praying and hoping that Richard wouldn't turn around.

What was she going to do? Shoot him? Shoot her entire childhood square in the back?

Daniela moved to stand behind the tall man, her petite form even smaller in his shadow. She kept her gun at her hip, her grip sweaty as she clutched at the metal, unable to bring herself to raise the weapon just yet. Ryanne glanced up at her then back to her step-father, watching with guarded eyes as he took another gulp of warm whiskey before slouching towards her, coaxing her to a stand. Gripping her hair, he pulled her to him again, always with the back and forth.

Just as he went to give her another kiss, Daniela leapt forward and struck him round the head with her gun. Richard shoved Ryanne away and she fell onto the bed while he whirled around to face his new attacker.

"Daniela," he breathed, eyes wide as he took in the appearance of the small brunette, her gaze like ice and her body tense. The sound of his voice speaking her name was like a mirror shattering in the pit of her stomach, and all the rage that she had kept locked up exploded from her. Without a second thought, Daniela brought the gun up a second time, catching the man on the jaw and making him stumble to the side, but before he could even right himself, she hit him a third time, letting out a small war cry as she did so.

Then – she waited. Waited for the consequences of her actions… for there were always consequences.

The shift that came over Richard was undeniable. It was like Daniela had beaten the drunken obsession out of the man, unveiling the pure psychotic ruthlessness of a monster that had lost his sober restraints. He gave a kind of animalistic snarl, took one last swallow of whiskey, and threw the half-empty bottle against the wall. It disintegrated into a thousand crystalline shards, creating a thin mist across the carpet, crunching like frost underneath Richard's heavy footfalls as he staggered towards Daniela, raising his fist. The girl ducked at the last moment but her hair got caught in his clawed hand; Richard got a tighter grip and then shoved her with all his might into the neighbouring wall.

"No!" Ryanne cried and threw herself at Richard, hitting him as hard as she could with her fists while Daniela struggled to her feet, spying the gun that had been flung from her hand. Richard grunted and turned to backhand Ryanne, who stumbled and clutched at the wall to keep herself upright.

"Look at this, my two little whores!" he laughed, spreading his arms wide. Daniela spat at him and he growled, throwing his fist into her face, the sound of contact echoing horribly around the room.

"Why do you make me do this?" he suddenly wailed as if overcome with sorrow. Ryanne and Daniela shared a wary glance, both very familiar with Richard's mood swings. "I don't want to hurt you, but you just won't listen to me! I'm trying to help you, why can't you see that?"

"You're crazy!" Ryanne spat, trying to gain his attention while Daniela scrabbled for her gun. Her step-father observed her with a twisted expression, spittle on his chin.

"Crazy?" he repeated. "No, my pet, I'm not crazy. I'm the only sane one here! I'm the only one you've got!" He was screaming now, beyond any mental stability as he lurched towards the redhead, intent on making her _see_. Ryanne pressed up against the wall, nowhere to go when he reached out for her, hand twitching as it wrapped it slowly around her thin neck. He began to squeeze and Ryanne spluttered, scratching as his fingers.

There was a click and Richard froze; his grip loosened. Ryanne gazed past him to see Daniela, her gun firm and steady as she pressed the barrel against the back of Richard's skull.

"Let her go," she commanded, her voice low and full of loathing. Richard hesitated but then did as she said, and Ryanne hurried out of his reach. Richard slowly turned around to face the brunette, devastated that he was being treated in such a manner.

"Ryanne, go to the backdoor. The team are outside. Get them to phone the police." Despite not wanting to leave the girl alone, Daniela's persistent nod to the door persuaded her to run through the house. When she saw the three bodies, her heart stopped for a moment but she made herself step past them.

"Hello?" she called through the gap, and immediately there was a face pressed to the door.

"Ryanne? Where's Riot?" It was Connor, his warm voice familiar.

"She's – she's with Richard…" All the feeling in her legs suddenly vanished and she fell heavily to her knees, her hand landing on the muscular chest of Scar. Ryanne looked down into his pale face and let out a sob that took even her by surprise.

"Oh God," she breathed, her chest tightening and her hands trembling. "Oh God, oh God..."

"Ryanne, you need to calm down… how's the window coming?" Connor called out to his team, but Ryanne couldn't hear him anymore as she leant over Scar and the other dying – dead? – bodies. She was sobbing, great hacking sounds that ripped from her throat as she dug the heel of her hands into her eyes.

"Ryanne, honey, you need to listen to me! Can you clear the door?" Once again, Connor got no response so he focused his attention on his team and the Sons who were prying their way into the boarded windows. There was a crack of wood, and then Rhys began crawling his way into the kitchen, landing heavily on the floor.

"Are you okay?" he asked the redhead, his hands moving like feathers over her face as he tried to see whether she was injured. Ryanne shook her head fiercely, and Rhys decided that his medical skills were needed elsewhere – but his street-learned talents weren't good enough here. He pulled out his phone and called the emergency number of the _Brethren-_friendly hospital, demanding an ambulance be sent straight away. When he was certain his message had been received, he started to arrange the prone forms into a respectable fashion, his experienced hands running over their wounds to analyse their severity. He looked up when he heard Ryanne start to hyperventilate, and he swivelled in his crouch to put his hand under her chin, directing her panicked gaze into his.

"Ryanne: you need to _calm down._" His voice was firm but the redhead let the words pass right over her head, unable to hear them past the roar of her blood in her ears or the maelstrom of emotion that threatened to pull her under.

"Get away," she moaned, pushing feebly at Rhys's hold on her jaw, "I'm not yours!" Not wanting to upset her further, the medic let her go and moved away, prioritising his patients. Ryanne leant against the hallway wall, sweat trickling down her forehead as her hands scrabbled at her shirt to rip away the buttons, suddenly feeling restricted and claustrophobic in the narrow, dark corridor. There was movement and voices all around her, but she didn't hear them – she didn't _want_to hear them. She just wanted everything to stop.

There were more hands on her face and _oh my god why couldn't they just leave her alone? _She was sick of people touching her, owning her, like she was just property to be carted around from person to person. She was sick of this house, the consuming darkness and the unforgivable memories. She was sick of feeling overcome with her weaknesses, unable to face up to her fears. She was sick of this town and everyone in it, including herself.

There was a sudden shout from the other end of the house, startling Connor and the others into action, while Rhys stayed in his crouch, not leaving the three bodies until the ambulance arrived. Connor gestured for his team to draw their weapons, and they stalked down the hallway, straining to see through the darkness.

"No!" they heard Daniela cry, and then there was a series of bangs and scuffling noises. Connor started to run through the living room, entering the second hallway just to see the front door of the house being torn open, the boards easy to dislodge from the inside. Daniela cocked her gun and let two bullets fly, but Richard had already thrown himself down the steps and out onto the road.

"Is there anyone round there?" Daniela demanded but Connor shook his head – all his team had been pulled round to the back, as they had assumed that the front door would be impossible to open. The pair of them raced after the man, but he had disappeared into the shadowed street, away from searching eyes.

Daniela cursed viciously, dragging her hands through her hair as she let out a great sigh. She had been so sure that Richard could have been dealt with this time, either by the police or an 'accidental gang shooting' here in the house.

"I'm sorry, Riot," Connor said softly, offering a comforting pat her back. The girl sighed again, but shook off her heavy emotions, letting them flood through the door after the man that had triggered them.

"How's Ry?" she asked, and Connor shook his head.

"She's fuckin' mental, Riot. She's losin' her God damn mind." Riot shot him a look, not appreciating his callous description of her friend. Connor shrugged, holding the door open for her as they moved back through the house. She saw that Pogue was now hovering beside his half-sister, checking her pulse and offering quiet words in her ear.

"She's out cold," he explained in a rough voice when Riot joined him. Pogue brushed away the hair from her face, noting that her skin was cold and clammy with a thin sheen of sweat covering her brow.

"Oh, Ryanne," Riot breathed, shaking her head. "Did she say anything before she passed out?" Pogue swallowed, taking his time to answer. Riot saw the heaviness in his gaze, the concern he had for the redhead girl. It wasn't until the red and blue flashing of the ambulance shone through the broken window, carving sharp lines in his face, that he repeated the three words Ryanne had spoken before collapsing where she sat.

"I give up."


	19. It Takes Two To Understand

_2012: rewrite_

_All I have to say about rewriting this chapter is: bless my fifteen-year old self._

_Much love. Review please!_

* * *

**19**

**It Takes Two to Understand**

* * *

Reid couldn't help but notice how peaceful Ryanne looked as she slept, despite her pallor and gaunt cheeks. Her warm red hair was spread across the grubby pillow, her hands twitching in her slumber. The blonde Son was stood in the doorway, half-listening to Pogue as he hissed down the phone to his father who apparently wasn't taking the news that Ryanne had landed herself in hospital _already_ very well.

"She's fine, dad," he was saying, trying to keep his voice down, "she just got… er, overexcited and passed out. The doctors are saying she can go home as soon as she wakes up." At the response he received, Pogue turned and walked down the stairwell, grumbling as he went.

"_Overexcited," _Reid repeated with a scoff, knowing just how much of an understatement that was. He glanced over to the room behind him, where two of the guards that had followed Ryanne lay in drug-induced comas, their life support machines beeping steadily. Vesper was sat beside Scar, his hand in hers, while Riot and Nael stood beside Raj, speaking in quiet undertones. Hawk, the final member of the team, had died on scene, having been shot in the heart. Reid could still remember the sight of his grey face as he had helped Rhys move him from the house, laying him gently on the backseat of the newly arrived car. It was a feeling without a name carrying a dead man.

"Ryanne, baby, can you hear me?" Jace murmured, catching Reid's attention. The redhead shifted on the bed, letting out a low groan as she slowly awoke. Jace tightly gripped her hand, whispering her name over and over until she finally opened her eyes, staring at him groggily.

"Jace?" she croaked, and he nodded, offering a small smile.

"Yeah, baby, I'm here. I'm here." Reid, not for the first – nor the last – time, speculated the depth of the relationship between the pair. It was undeniable just how close the two were, but he had yet to decide whether he thought they were in _love _or whatever. _Probably just fucking, _he thought caustically. Not that he cared. He definitely _didn't _care.

"What happened?" Ryanne asked, blinking up at the dimmed lights of the hospital room. Jace sighed and sat back, scrubbing a hand over his face in the way that Reid had come to know as a stress habit of his.

"You passed out at the house. _Why _did you go there, Ryanne?" he asked her, the question bursting from him as he had been desperate to ask it for hours. Ryanne looked away, bringing up a hand to cover her eyes.

"It was raining, and it was just _there. _I didn't think that _he _would be hiding inside, did I? It was empty before." Jace didn't speak for a minute, and when he did, his voice was solemn and hushed – Reid had to lean forward to catch the words.

"What – what did he do to you, baby?" Reid realised that he might not want to hear this, the conversation he was listening in on suddenly getting too personal for his liking… but he didn't turn away. Ryanne coughed, keeping her hand over her eyes, unable to look at Jace or face the reality of the situation at all.

"… Nothing, really. He has got some obsession with me, it's… _disturbing_ as hell. Kept going on about how I was his and how he's raised me – kept calling me _pet _and whatever. He got angry when I disobeyed him, but that's nothing out of the ordinary. Daniela pissed him off 'cause she kept hitting him, no surprise there." She sounded like she was talking about the weather, and Reid wondered whether he was hearing her right.

"Did he hurt you?" Jace's tone and thunderous expression was enough to convince Reid that he was hearing her just fine.

"No, not really. I wasn't the one he shot – _oh my God!"_ Ryanne jack-knifed up in the bed, her eyes wide as she relived the memory of Scar, Hawk and Raj being shot by her step-father. Jace leapt forwards as Ryanne swung her legs over the side of the bed, pushing aside the covers.

"What are you doing?" Jace demanded of her, putting his hands on her shoulders to push her down.

"They were shot! Fucking hell, they were _shot! _Are they okay?" Jace looked away for the briefest of seconds, and this was enough to make Ryanne to bow her head with her hand over her mouth.

"Who?" she breathed, her voice unsteady.

"Hawk. He… he died in the hallway."

"Oh God – oh God – oh God – someone's _dead _because of me – oh God –" Jace pulled her to his chest, forcing her to raise her head. Reid expected floods of tears but instead she just looked shell-shocked. "He had a _family – _and now he's gone – dead – oh God." Reid started to worry (no, not worry, because he really didn't actually care) that Ryanne was about to hyperventilate and pass out again, and he took a step forward before even realising what he was doing. He came to an abrupt stop as if he had just hit a wall, and watched, slightly dazed, as Jace began to reassure Ryanne that it wasn't her fault. The redhead would have none of it, but managed to calm herself down enough to wave Jace away.

"Scar, Raj – are they okay?" Reid stepped back as Jace looked up, automatically glancing over to the room that held the unconscious _Brethren _members. The two blondes held each other's gazes for a few seconds, Jace visibly not happy about catching Reid eavesdropping on the rather private conversation, and Reid not pleased that the older boy was trying to assert his dominance. When Reid refused to move, Jace gritted his teeth and replied to Ryanne who hadn't noticed their new company.

"They're in the opposite room: they're unconscious for now, but the doctors are hoping for a speedy recovery. Don't worry about them, baby, they're made of tough stuff." Ryanne nodded, knowing full well how strong Scar and Raj were, having known them for most of her life.

"I'm assuming Richard got away?" she asked, sounding tired and drained. Jace nodded, looking away from Reid as if dismissing him; the Son smirked, knowing that he had won that minor battle.

"We'll get him, baby, don't worry."

"I don't want to 'get him', I want him to go far, far away." She sighed, rubbed at her eyes and stood up, smoothing her clothes down and brushing her hair over her shoulders. Her muscles were tight and uncomfortable, and she had a sudden desire for a hot bath, preferably with candles and burning incense. "Can we go home, or do I have to stay here?"

"We can go." He turned and grabbed his jacket while Ryanne drifted over to the door. She stopped when she saw Reid, looking uncertain and wary. When he didn't do anything – just stood there, watching her – she smiled, the gesture small and tired, but a smile nonetheless. Jace put his hand on her back and guided her past the blonde, shooting him a heated glare. It was only when they had disappeared out the door that Reid realised he had smiled back.

* * *

It wasn't until the following night that they saw each other again. Jace had bundled Ryanne into the upper level of the _Brethren _headquarters, while the Sons were asked to remain downstairs. It was easy to see that Pogue was getting progressively more pissed off, not even Caleb's soothing authority keeping him from snarling at anyone who even looked at him. Tyler was preoccupied with Riot who was sat beside him, making him laugh with her clever, sharp remarks as she gave him a brief history of the gang, pointing out the different guards and medics.

Reid, unable to remain in the filthy, crowded, tense living room for another minute, left with the excuse that he needed the toilet. Seeing as there wasn't one downstairs, he was given permission to use the bathroom on the first floor. He moved sluggishly up the steps and began to meander down the hallway, bypassing the restroom completely. He was stressed, without alcohol, and his ability to hold back the urge to Use weakening with every passing hour. How much longer were they going to stay in this God forsaken town? The reason they had chased after Pogue's new little sister was now defunct: Jace was on the mend, despite having disregarded the doctors' orders to keep his arm safe in the sling. Surely they could leave now?

Not really wanting to go back downstairs to bask in the grime this house was filled with, Reid wandered into a room at the very end of the hall. It looked like it was being used as a storeroom, boxes and bags of clothes and ammo piled up against the walls. In the corner there was a door out onto a miniature balcony that overlooked the gardens of the _Brethren _base. He tried to open the door, feeling the need for some fresh air, but the freakin' thing was locked.

"For fuck sake," he cursed, rattling the handle in irritation. His temper was dangerously close to the edge, and he felt the familiar, tantalising prickle of Power brush the back of his eyes. The sensible part of him knew that Using to open a damn _door _was not worth knocking a day off his life, but _for the mother of God could he not catch a break?_

"You alright?" Reid whipped around to see Ryanne there in the doorway, her eyebrow raised in question. Grunting in reply, Reid turned back to the door, giving the handle another impatient rattle. Ryanne tutted and walked over to him, plucking up a key that was resting on the shelf beside the door. She delicately slid it into the lock and opened the door, letting him stride out first.

"You're welcome," she mocked when he said nothing, leaning on the railing to stare out into the night sky.

"You can go now," he said when she remained stood behind him, resting against the doorway. His tone immediately got her riled up and she stood up straight, arms folded over her chest.

"This is _my _house, you don't get to tell me to go," she snapped.

"I thought that serial-killer nest was your house?" he shot back. Ryanne glared at the back of his head.

"You know what? Fuck you. I don't know what the hell your problem is, but I'm getting sick of your attitude. Fine, I get it, you don't like the fact that I'm here, but guess what? I'm not going anywhere. Whether I stay with Pogue is _not _your decision – it's got jack to do with you. So why don't you just do everyone a favour, and stop acting like a little bitch?" Reid snarled and turned to face her, his cerulean eyes vivid and dangerous.

"I'm not one of these fucking _guards _or whatever the hell you call them that you can just boss around like you're Little Miss Universe," he retorted. "You love it, don't you? Being the centre of attention, getting everyone to chase after you. You've got Pogue wrapped around your little finger already – don't act like you don't. Poor, delicate, mistreated Ryanne!"

"Don't act like you know me! You don't know anything about my life! You don't know what it's like to grow up with an abusive step-father and a mother who was either catatonic or suicidal most of the time! You don't know what it's like to have a less than perfect childhood, do you? All you know is fast cars and money and girls with big tits who just fall into your lap. You don't know anything about the real world."

"Fucking hell, here we go again! You spend so much of your time complaining about your life, but you don't do anything about it, do you? Did you ever ask for help? Did you ever try to leave? No, you just sat there and took it so that you could go crying to anyone who would listen and get a free pass through life."

"_Fuck you!" _Ryanne screamed, shoving him backwards. "What do you know about trauma or hard work or _life? _You don't know anything! All you know is your daddy's bank details and fuck all else." There was movement in the hallway leading into the room but neither of them noticed, nor did they realise that a deathly silence had taken over the house.

"You say that I'm shallow, but look at you, assuming you know everything about me just because my family have got money. You have no idea the pressure we're under; you have _no _idea how hard we have to work just for people to think we're okay. What, because your step-dad hit you, that makes you better than anyone else, more _deserving_ than everyone else? Well, you know what? Your 'woe is me' act is getting pretty old, pretty quickly. You're not the only person in the world that has issues, you arrogant little _bitch. _Look at you, prancing around like you're the centre of the damn universe, when you know full well that if you didn't have your _tragic _background to fall back on, no one would actually give a shit. That's why you don't do anything about your step-dad, because without him you'd have nothing and you'd be _no one – _and that's why you dragged us over here to give us a lovely tour of your house, because otherwise Pogue and his dad would have had to judge you as a normal human being, but now that they know about your _heartbreaking_ past, you can just skate on by, acting however the fuck you want because you know that no one will question the little abused girl."

Ryanne stared at him. What could she say to that? No one had ever spoken to her like that before. The brutal honesty of his words rendered her speechless. Reid stood before her, breathing heavily as his anger dissipated, gazing deep into her mossy green eyes. His heated speech replayed in his head, and he cringed at his own viciousness.

"I didn't mean… _fuck,_" he breathed, looking away. Apologies were hard for him to give, but even he had to admit that he had been out of line, no matter how much the redhead wound him up. Ryanne shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear as she regarded the blonde, understanding what he was trying to say.

"It's fine," she sighed, moving to lean against the railing. "I guess you're kinda right. God," she laughed, "how did we end up like this?" It was a rhetorical question but Reid felt the need to answer regardless.

"I ask myself that every day." The sound of movement caught his attention, and he looked over his shoulder to see figures standing in the doorway of the room. He turned back to Ryanne, moving closer to murmur in her ear.

"I think we have an audience." Ryanne glanced over too and laughed under her breath.

"We'll always have an audience in this place," she whispered back. "You can't escape the prying eyes." They shared a vaguely amused look, gazing at each other without antipathy for the first time.

"I am sorry," Reid finally admitted, and Ryanne nodded.

"So am I. I had no right to judge you – I don't even know you."

"Hmm, well, I suppose I don't know you much either."

"I feel like I've touched a nerve with you," Ryanne said quietly, wary how he might respond but just sighed, tugging absentmindedly on his fingerless gloves.

"Mmm," he hummed, looking up to the sky. "I guess you could say that." Ryanne gazed at him, taking in his pale profile, his slender nose, strong jaw, and blonde hair that looked white in the moonlight. "I'm sorry I called you a bitch."

"I'm sorry I called _you _a bitch," Ryanne said with a smile, making Reid roll his eyes. "Is this that moment when you realise how bad you've become?" Reid raised an eyebrow, and she explained. "Y'know, that little epiphany when you come to understand the error of your ways. We're like alcoholics, minus the alcoholism. …I've become someone I never meant to become." Reid let out a deep sigh, his shoulder brushing hers.

"I've been someone I never wanted to be my entire life," Reid confessed, "but I don't know how to be anyone else."

"That's the fear, isn't it? That being yourself isn't good enough. Where do we go from here?"

"Up," Reid said, sounding strangely determined. "God knows we can't fall any lower." Ryanne hummed in agreement.

"There's nowhere left to fall when you're already in hell."


	20. Liars Can't Be Lovers

_2012: rewrite_

_If you got a new chapter notification on the 23rd April, this is why. Like I've said before, every 10 chapters, I'm going to be deleting a chapter and uploading a new rewrite of one instead. This is just to raise awareness that I'm actually rewriting this thing. _

_This chapter was, yet again, a bitch to write. The original version had absolutely no plot except for the ending which is the only thing I've kept the same. Everything else has been scrapped and replaced with an entirely different mood setting. I've also included more Son appearances because they were completely absent from the original. I'm starting to really like the little back and forth between Ryanne and Reid, and more of that is included here. Unlike the others, this is one continuous chapter with no scene breaks. Also, the chapter title has changed because the focus of the chapter has changed._

_That's about it, I think! Hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think. If you spot any spelling/grammar mistakes, let me know as well! Thanks, and much love._

* * *

**20**

**Liars Can't Be Lovers**

* * *

The hush of pouring water into a small, ceramic mug; the glug of chilled milk; the clink of a metal spoon: the early morning sounds of the _Brethren _headquarters. The sky outside was a cold ivory, the call of birds and the hum of cars faint in the distant background.

Ryanne picked up her cup of coffee and turned to lean against the kitchen counter, staring out onto the gardens that lay behind the rickety old building. She felt oddly content, sipping on the refreshing brew without a hint of anxiety or unease. Her argument-come-self-discovery-discussion she'd had with Reid the previous night had provided her a way to purge all of her frustrations. Screaming and swearing at someone who gives it back just as hard was a very effective stress-reliever.

"Oh, hey." Pogue was standing uncertainly in the doorway, looking as if he was seeking permission to enter the kitchen. Ryanne smiled, beckoning him in with a tilt of her head, offering to get him some coffee. He thanked her and took a deep gulp. There was a moment of silence and for once it wasn't awkward in the slightest.

"I'm sorry about Reid," Pogue said all of a sudden, moving so that he could look her in the eye. "He can be a right asshole-" Ryanne laughed, cutting him off mid-apology.

"Oh, don't worry about it! Yeah, okay, it started off a bit shitty, but it ended alright. I think we were just lettin' off steam, y'know?" Pogue frowned, slightly confused albeit relieved that Reid hadn't totally ruined everything in his usual uncaring fashion.

"Okay… that's good, I guess." Ryanne smiled again and poured herself another coffee, enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Where is everyone?" Pogue asked, and Ryanne shrugged.

"The shift transition time is about six in the morning, so everyone who just came back from a shift is probably having a kip. I like getting up at this time because it's so quiet, and there's still coffee left. It's also a good time to have a shower because the water's gotten hot again – I would recommend you go have one if you haven't already." Pogue nodded, placing his empty mug in the sink to give it a quick rinse.

"Thanks for coming with me," Ryanne said after a long pause, purposefully not looking at her half-brother. "I know it's probably screwed up your plans or whatever." Pogue didn't answer for a while, staring at her profile thoughtfully.

When he did reply, he told that he was glad that he did decide to go with her, even if it had been a snap decision. While he wasn't sure just exactly what was going on in Ryanne's life, he was thankful that he had been able to see even just a snippet of it. He knew that it was going to be hard, living at his home with his angry, devastated mother, but he was determined to make the redhead a part of his family. He, of all people, was not one to just abandon his sister, be it half or not. Yes, it was going to be difficult and the fact that they were from such strikingly different backgrounds would no doubt be the cause of some strife between them, but surely they were strong enough to move past that? Where you come from is not the be all and end all of who you are, and already he could see similarities in their personalities and mannerisms. He was deeply sorry for the way that he had treated her before he got to know her, and he hoped that she could look past that.

Ryanne stared at him for a moment. He stared back. She couldn't help it: she burst out laughing.

"Oh, Pogue, have you been practising that speech all night?" Pogue's face dropped and she bit her lip, trying to hold back the sniggers.

"I'm sorry," she managed, "but you have to admit, that was pretty, um, rehearsed?" Pogue rolled his eyes, though there was a slight smile pulling on his lips. "Thank you anyway, that's really sweet of you to say. I really appreciate it, I do," she assured him. Pogue shrugged it off, looking up at the kitchen clock.

"Mind if I have a shower?" he asked and she nodded, directing him up to the upstairs bathroom. She watched him go, the amused smile still firmly in place, wondering how on Earth she managed to get herself into these kinds of situations with these kinds of people.

_Maybe I should be more grateful, _she thought to herself._ Despite everything, I seem to have bagged some really amazing friends. _Chuckling under her breath, she put some more water in the kettle and let it boil in case anyone came down seeking a cuppa. Feeling more comfortable than she had felt in a long time, she drifted into the main living room – and stopped dead at the mess.

"Lord above," she muttered, still not able to believe how messy the _Brethren _were. Sighing, she began to collect the mound of jackets and clothes that were littered around the room and draped over the chairs. She threw them into the hall cupboard and began to tidy away the endless amount of cups, glasses and plates left on the tables, and the empty takeaway bags stuffed down the side of the sofa. The stale odour of Chinese food rose up as she scrunched up the bags, so she pushed open the windows, letting the crisp morning air flood in. Just as she was pulling out the duster and polish from the cleaning supplies closet, she heard footsteps follow her into the kitchen.

"Hey." Already, she knew that voice: rough but not deep, pointed but not sharp. She didn't have to look around to know that a blonde, blue-eyed boy with a piercing stare, a strong jaw, and maybe some donning some fingerless gloves was stood behind her.

"Hey," she replied in like, turning around to face him. His hair and clothes were ruffled from sleep, but he looked fresher than ever. Maybe their argument had been as refreshing from him as it had been for her.

"You okay?" she asked him, small talk automatically spilling from her mouth. Her fingers shook slightly and she clenched them, hiding them behind her folded arms. Reid watched her, his eyes following the movement before snapping back up to meet hers. He nodded, slowly as if not quite sure, and then moved into the kitchen with a feline stealth. Ryanne instinctively stepped back and cringed when she saw Reid frown at the extended distance between them, agitated that she would move away from him. She couldn't believe that ice blue eyes could hold such fire.

"You?" Ryanne was so unprepared for him to speak, that the low rumble of his voice made her stare before she belatedly realised that she was meant to reply.

"I'm – I'm great." He nodded, this time the gesture much more resolute. When Ryanne was unable to hold his stare any longer, she spun on her heel and busied herself with picking up a cloth and began cleaning down the kitchen surfaces. Reid moved further into the kitchen and made himself a coffee, putting three heaped spoonfuls of sugar in. He drank it down quickly, not pausing to appreciate the smell or the taste, hastily putting the cup into the sink; he stared at it for a moment, then changed his mind and washed it by hand, gently sitting it upside down on the draining board. He then cast Ryanne a sly look, decided she wasn't watching him, and picked up a cloth similar to one the redhead was wielding, and began to mimic her movements, wiping down the counters that she hadn't reached yet. Sensing that he wouldn't appreciate any verbal acknowledgment of his actions, Ryanne instead allowed herself a small smile at the unexpected display of domesticity.

They moved around the kitchen in silent unison, Reid wiping away the greasy stains on the hob, while Ryanne emptied the rickety dishwasher, peeking over her shoulder at her blonde helper every few minutes. When she picked up the polish and duster, she pondered over saying something to him, but he immediately shot her a sharp, quick look that told her that she wasn't to say a word, so instead, she moved into the living room and began to polish the wood surfaces, wiping away the thin layer of dust. When she was satisfied that there wasn't a speck of dust in sight and all the rubbish had been cleared away, she tidied away her cleaning supplies, noticing Reid throwing the two cloths into the cupboard under the sink.

"Thanks," she said quietly when they faced each other again. Reid said nothing as if she hadn't spoken, and instead stared at her in that unreadable manner of his. He went to say something, and Ryanne leant forward, suddenly desperate to hear whatever he had to say, when the sound of laughter made them both step back from each other.

"Oh, hey Reid," Tyler greeted, moving to touch knuckles with his best friend. Reid shook his head as if trying to dismantle whatever thoughts had been plaguing his mind, and returned Tyler's handshake, pulling on his typical laidback smirk. Ryanne blinked, finding it very disorientating to see such a sudden change in a person, but then dismissed it, turning away from him to smile instead at Pogue who had followed Tyler in. His long hair was wet from the shower and he was topless, his shirt hung over his shoulder. Ryanne saw his abs and muscles, and mutely asked herself whether she had been born into a group of supermodels.

"Breakfast?" she asked the room, receiving eager grunts in response. Rolling her eyes, she ducked into the fridge to pull out a stack of ingredients and began to make a fry up. The three Sons moved into the newly cleaned living room, greeting Caleb when he emerged from upstairs.

As she made the breakfast, a few more of the gang appeared as well as the usual trio of Jace, Vesper and Nael. Ryanne felt a pang of regret when she remembered that she wouldn't see the joyful face of Raj nor see the ever comforting smile of Scar this morning, but she counted her lucky stars that they would live to see another day. Hawk, unfortunately, wouldn't, and the guilt hit harder when she lingered over that fact.

"Hey," she heard Jace say from behind her, his warm hands snaking around her waist, effectively pulling her out of her guilt as she focused on him. She smiled despite herself, enjoying the sensation of being held by someone she loved. Jace kissed her neck and she leant back into his embrace, eyes closing without thought as she revelled in his hold. He kissed her again and again, light touches, nothing more, his cheek resting against hers as they stood there in silence.

Ryanne felt a prickle go up her spine and she opened her eyes to see Reid's reflection in the metallic cover of the cooker fan. Whether he knew that she was watching him, she didn't know, but she said nothing as the blonde observed them without a word from the doorway, expression made impossible to read from the blur of the reflection. After a moment, he turned and walked away.

"He likes you," Jace whispered in her ear, kissing the hollow behind it.

"What?" she breathed, the light headed sensation of being in Jace's embrace making her thoughts shaky and hard to dissect.

"The blonde one. Whatever his name is. He was watching you." So, Jace had seen his reflection too.

"And?" she replied, still staring at the spot where his reflection had been. "That doesn't mean anything."

"He likes you," Jace repeated. "He wants you for himself." The possession in his tone was unmistakable, and Ryanne was reminded why she had refused Jace in the first place. There was no doubt from anyone that there was something romantic between Jace and Ryanne, but the redhead had never been able to fully accept Jace's advances because she was too young for the unbreakable tension in his love. Jace didn't just want her to be his girlfriend, he wanted her to be his, forever. He wanted to _claim_ her.

"Jace, don't do that," she murmured, trying to pull away from his embrace, but his grip only grew tighter. He kept his lips at her neck but his kisses stopped: she felt the heat of his breath against her throat. "Jace, _don't'._" She pushed as much aggression into that one word as possible, forcibly tugging away from his hold; she whirled to face him, unnecessarily irritated by his behaviour.

"What?" he asked her, looking like a kicked puppy. He knew that Ryanne hated when he acted possessive, but it wasn't like he had done anything wrong. That Reid guy was an asshole.

"Do you like him?" he asked her, his voice low and cautious. Ryanne let her jaw drop open at the audacity of the question, not quite believing that he was asking her that.

"What the hell?" she hissed, careful to not draw any attention from the adjoining room. "Is that why you're acting like this, because you think I'm going to go off with some other guy?"

"He's a dick, Ryanne," Jace snapped. "I heard what he said to you last night! He's lucky I haven't punched his fuckin' face in!" Ryanne rolled her eyes: that was typical of Jace, to only hear something from one perspective. He had obviously blocked out everything she had said in retaliation to Reid.

"He apologised, Jace. It has nothing to do with you anyway."

"Yes it does. Anything to do with _you _has everything to do with _me._" Ryanne stared at Jace, less than impressed with his possessive display of dominance.

"I'm not yours, Jace," she said stonily. Jace ignored her, waving away the comment just like he always did.

"Look, all I'm saying is that he's got an eye on you and I don't like it, okay?" He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face in his usual habitual way. Ryanne looked away, trying to calm herself down, knowing that starting an argument – the same argument they always had – would not make the situation any better. Jace would never stop being possessive, that was just who he was. He acted the same with Vesper, Nael, Scar, his entire team – except maybe Riot, but that's a whole other story. Of course, Ryanne was the only one that he had anything romantic with, but still.

"I'm sorry," Jace finally admitted, his voice low and gentle. Ryanne knew how much the older boy hated apologising, so she accepted it graciously and allowed him to pull her into another embrace. They remained in silence for a moment longer before Jace spoke, and this time the edge was lost from his voice.

"Here, I'll finish making the breakfast, you go sit down," Jace offered, and Ryanne recognised it as a truce. Accepting it whole-heartedly, Ryanne disappeared into the living room. Reid was the only one to look up as she appeared, and he glanced down to the empty space between him. Taking that as an invitation – even though she was pretty sure it wasn't – she moved to sit next to him, watching him the entire time.

"Hi," she murmured, unable to take her eyes away from his arctic blue stare. Reid didn't reply but she hadn't really expected him to, and was content with his minute nod instead. Pogue asked her something and she turned to respond, her arm brushed Reid's as she did so. The touch sent a chill up her spine and she was haste to dismiss any potential reasons why.

Jace and two of his gang brought out the breakfast, and the large group that had gathered in the living room tucked in eagerly, the amiable sounds of chatter and cutlery scraping against plates filling the air. Ryanne once again let herself be relaxed, enjoying the taste of a good breakfast and being in the presence of good company.

"I don't think your boyfriend likes me," Reid muttered in her ear, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Ryanne automatically glanced up at Jace who was sat across in the room, deep in conversation with Nael and Caleb, a few of the other _Brethren _members joining in as they finished up their meal.

"He's not my boyfriend," Ryanne replied caustically, still not quite over Jace's earlier behaviour. Reid looked surprised at her words, and she guessed that he had presumed they were together. They both looked at the gang leader, dirtied bandages visible beneath his dark t-shirt. "He's not my boyfriend," she repeated, much softer, though she wasn't sure why.

"He still doesn't like me very much," said Reid as he watched the older man. Ryanne shrugged, looking away and putting aside her plate.

"He doesn't like many people, so don't feel like you're getting special treatment or anything." Reid's lips quirked up in a brief smirk and he turned his gaze to her. In the pale early morning light that drifted in through the dirty window, she looked almost ethereal, a dusty halo circling her vibrant hair. Reid wasn't entirely sure why he noticed this, but he did notice it nonetheless.

"We've been through a lot together, and he gets worried about me, you know? That's all," Ryanne offered in a way of an explanation.

"Why does he need to be worried about you with me?" Reid asked, and Ryanne hesitated, unsure as to where this was going. Instead of bringing up Jace's accusation that the blonde maybe had a thing for her – which was preposterous, surely – Ryanne gave a light hearted shrug and shone a bright smile.

"It's not you particularly, it's anyone _new. _He doesn't like Pogue very much either." Reid took her untruth at face value, nodding along to the sensible reasoning.

Both of them tuned back into the larger conversation between the group, putting aside their private words for the time being. Early morning turned into midday, laughter prominent in the rundown apartment, people coming and going as the hours went by. Finally, when the next shift started and most of the _Brethren _members that had been included in the group got up to go, Ryanne decided that it was time to do something productive. She latched onto Riot and the pair of them went outside to hang out the washing, while Vesper made another round of tea and coffee for everyone.

"Honestly," Nael said in jest to Caleb and the others, nodding his head towards the large tray of steaming mugs. "You'd think this was an OAP's home, not the headquarters of the most significant gang in London." Jace shot him a mock-angry look while the Sons laughed, the sipping gang members not at all ruffled by Nael's comment.

The sound of artificial bells sounded, and a dark-haired man sat nearest the phone answered it with a scruffy _"yeah?" _while the conversation in the room dimmed. A moment later, the man held out the cordless phone to his boss and the blonde unfolding himself from his chair to take it from him.

"Hello?" Whatever was said on the other end made Jace freeze just as he went to exit the living room. The conversation came to an abrupt standstill, everyone looking towards the man.

"Yes, this is he." Jace unfroze to glance out of the living room window, where Riot and Ryanne were chatting as they finished hanging out the washing. The sun was bright as it gazed down onto the two girls, igniting their hair and giving a warm glow to their skin.

"Yes, she is, one moment." Jace sounded so formal that Reid wasn't entirely certain it was he who was speaking. He leant forward, watching as the older man went into the kitchen and out of the living room. Pogue stood up and followed him out, and automatically, Reid went to do the same. Tyler and Caleb exchanged looks as they hesitantly got to their feet, not receiving any kind of explanation from the silent _Brethren. _

Jace went outside and closed the kitchen door behind him. The phone was held tightly in his hand, his palm sweaty and muscles taut. Riot spotted him first and she silently picked up the washing basket and disappeared inside, sensing that this wasn't the time to go against Jace's authority. She stood nervously beside Tyler and Reid as they all peered out of the window, ducking behind the curtains in an attempt to see what was going on.

"I've got a call for you," Jace said, his voice devoid of any emotion. Ryanne swallowed, not liking where this was going. Instead of asking from whom, she plucked the phone out of Jace's hand and pressed the device to her ear.

"Ryanne speaking."

"_Hello, Miss Valentine. This is Stewart from the Highway 45 London Orphanage speaking. I'm calling in regards to Addyson Valentine." _

"Yes? What about her?" Ryanne's voice was nothing but a gust of breath. Jace stepped forwards, hands partly outstretched as if expecting her to crumble; she would do no such thing.

"_Her most recent foster arrangement has just recently terminated their contract and so Addyson is currently back in our care. Now, she has garnered some interest from another foster family and we believe that they will file for foster custody of her in the next few days. However, we have just received notice that a new of age next of kin has been added to your file and seeing as you have yet to retract your file from our system, it is still connected to Addyson's. Therefore, we are legally required to give your family the option to take custody of Addyson once more. If you refuse, then your file will be retracted from our database, and you or your family will no longer have any legal affiliation with Addyson." _

The sunshine had become an inferno, burning its way through her heart.


	21. In For A Penny, In For A Lifetime

_2012: rewrite_

_Not a very long chapter, but some key details have been changed such as Daniela's awareness of the what happened at the end of the previous chapter, as well as Jace's and Reid's interaction with Ryanne. I think it's changed for the better, I hope you agree._

_Even though I don't expect to receive reviews any longer, I still hope that someone might spare a few words for me! I'm still getting loads of hits and favourites/alerts for IIYB, so I would appreciate to hear what you think!_

_Much love, hope you enjoy._

* * *

**21**

**In For A Penny, In For A Lifetime**

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It was difficult for Reid to hide his smirk as he watched Jace pace from one side of the room to the other, back and forth, back and forth like a caged animal. Spears of sunlight scored harsh lines across his face, forming a disturbing kind of mask of gaunt shadows that seemed to almost dehumanise him. It made the small audience that were silently observing his restless agitation reluctant to approach him, for fear of being attacked in some way. Thus, he continued to pace, clenching and unclenching his clammy fists, gnashing his teeth whenever he pivoted on his heel.

In contrast to Jace's constant movement, Ryanne was sat on the sofa, as still and poised as a marble statue. Whereas Jace had stormed back into the house, thrown open the living room doors and growled like a wild dog at his guards who had immediately vacated the area, Ryanne had done no such thing. Reid had expected her to follow in a similar fashion to her friend or maybe stumble in sobbing, but she had merely wandered into the living room and sat down on the sofa as calm as can be. She gave no indication that she had even registered Jace's foul mood, instead staring down at her steady hands, wearing only an intensely pensive expression.

"What's happening?" Reid heard Tyler whisper in Daniela's ear. Their small group was standing awkwardly at the side, seemingly oblivious to the reasons behind Jace's anger or Ryanne's deep thought. Daniela shrugged, evidently put out that she too was ignorant to whatever had transpired outside in the garden. After a moment's hesitation, she crept over to the sofa and set herself down by Ryanne, quietly asking the redhead whether she was okay. While she obviously expected an emotional response, perhaps tears or a furious outburst, Ryanne just looked up at her with a small, albeit tired, smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why'd you ask?" Daniela raised her eyebrows and pointedly glanced towards Jace who was still locked in his ceaseless pacing in front of the dim windows. Ryanne blinked as if seeing him for the first time.

"Jace, cut it out," she sighed, the small gust of words effectively startling the blonde into stillness. There was a pause before he whirled to face Ryanne, pale and wild-eyed. Daniela leant back at the sight of his expression, but Ryanne just let out another sigh, immune to his intimidation.

"Cut _what _out?" he snarled, body taught and coiled as if he were a spring pulled tight.

"Oh, really! I don't know why you're getting so worked up about this, it's not like it's got anything to do with you." On the surface, her words were cool and crisp, but Jace flinched as if she had reached up and struck him hard across the face, perhaps winding him in the process. There was a brief second in which his aggression dissipated and his shoulders slouched as a bright spark of despair flashed across his face, but then it was gone. Reid knew then that Jace wasn't angry, he was upset - devastated, even.

"How could you say that?" he growled, hurt and angered by her comment. Ryanne looked away, her arms crossed defensively across her chest. Her pensive expression had been replaced by one of bitter resentment, her eyes like shards of bottle green glass. Reid watched the transition from peace to hostility with great intrigue, and he swallowed when he realised she was staring directly at him. He held her gaze for a long moment, something sharp and stinging dancing along their connection, before she finally looked back to Jace who was still waiting for an answer.

"You told me to send her-" she stopped abruptly, choking on her next words; she cleared her throat and started again. "It was your idea for me to do what I did, not mine. I didn't want to, but you told that it was the only option. You didn't want anything to do with... _it _after that, so no. I don't think this has anything to with you." Her retort was scathing, and Jace clenched his jaw tight.

"I did that to protect you!" he howled. "There was no other choice, what would you have had me do? You of all people know what would have happened if we'd gone along with what you wanted! Think of how he would have reacted if he'd found out." Ryanne ducked her head, a faint blush on her cheeks as she glanced nervously at the others in the room. It was obvious that she had a lot to say, but didn't want the small audience to be involved in the... _discussion. _For some reason, this seemed to irritate Daniela immensely.

"You can't just pick and choose what you tell us, Ryanne," she stated frostily, making the redhead shoot her a fierce glare, not appreciating being chided so openly.

"Actually, I can. I don't have to tell you anything." There was a stony silence, then Daniela got up and marched away from the redhead, stopping only when she reached Tyler's side. Ryanne rolled her eyes and sneered at her friend's retreat; Reid blinked, having not expected to ever see such an expression on the girl's face. His curiosity grew and grew with every passing second. Jace, annoyed that Daniela had interrupted his own argument with Ryanne, cut in.

"I don't think you quite understand the seriousness of the situation." Ryanne gaped up at him in outrage and flew to her feet.

"How dare you! I think you'll find that I am the only one who can possibly understand the seriousness of the situation, Jace! This has nothing to do with you, not anymore! I'm not a child, you can't just boss me around and-"

"_But you are a child, Ryanne!" _Jace yelled in her face. Ryanne leapt back and turned, intent on fleeing from the room, but Jace reached out and caught her wrist, spinning her around to face him. One of his hands knotted in her hair and tugged her head back, while the other - having released her wrist - curled around her throat, his strong fingers brushing her jaw to keep her head locked.

Reid instinctively tensed and pushed off from the wall, the steady ache of his Power beginning to grow into a high-pitched keen in the back of his mind. Vesper darted forward but Daniela grabbed her shoulder and shook her head at the young girl, while Pogue squared his shoulders, deciding whether to snatch his sister away from the crazed young man.

Ryanne, not quite feeling the pressure of his grip, gazed deep into Jace's beautiful eyes and fell into the molten depths, just like she always did. Despite everything, there was only warmth in his stare - and panic.

"Please," he whimpered, only for her to hear. "Please don't do this. I can't protect you both, not if you leave. She's mine too, _please." _It wasn't often that Jace resorted to begging, and his pleading bled right through her heart, stealing her breath away. She almost fell into his arms, ready to just throw away all responsibility, secure in the knowledge that Jace would deal with it all and she wouldn't have to think about it ever again.

That's what she did before. She couldn't do it again. For too long she had relinquished all accountability and therefore all blame, finding it easier to just shut her eyes and pretend it was all okay - not anymore. She knew the consequences, she knew the dangers, but things were different now. She wasn't alone. Soon she would be in another continent, away from her step-father and the gritty bedrooms of London. She had a home and people who cared, legal stability and hell, _money. _Things were definitely different this time round.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, bringing one hand up to caress the side of his face, "but I can't let her go, not again. She's a part of me. I just can't." Jace clenched his eyes tightly shut and held onto her for one long minute before letting her go. Ryanne kept her hand on his cheek and moved directly into his space so that she could bring their foreheads together, leaving him a gentle kiss on the nose.

"I love you," she murmured, her voice like silken honey to his ears, "but I can't let you protect me forever." Dropping her hand, she turned away to face the others.

"What's going on?" Nael asked, uncertain.

"I think we'd all like to know the answer to that one," Daniela muttered, and Ryanne let out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, staring hard at her friend. "I'm sorry I haven't told you what's happened but it literally only _just _happened! Technically I _have _told you, ages ago! Can you just let me process this before I give you a play-by-play, please?" She sounded so highly strung, as if she were a taut wire on the verge of snapping, that Daniela didn't even argue back. There was another moment of silence as Jace stared sightlessly out the window and Ryanne wrung her hands, suddenly craving a nap but not quite knowing what her next step should be. After a minute or so, Jace finally turned and pushed past the small hovering of observers with little grace, disappearing wordlessly out the front door. A few guards who had been waiting patiently outside the living room followed him out, exchanging sullen looks. Within seconds they were gone, lost to the hazy sunshine.

"Well," Nael said in an attempt to break the silence, "can't say that's the first time he's gone off in a huff." Vesper cracked a smile at the half-hearted joke, and Nael nudged her out the door, the pair of them heading into the kitchen to prepare an early lunch for the next wave of guards soon to arrive.

"Should I welcome you to London again or would you prefer to book your taxis now?" said Daniela sarcastically, moving to stand beside Ryanne. The Sons looked at each with uneasy smiles, sensing that the question was entirely rhetorical.

"I'm gonna go have a shower," Ryanne murmured, slipping out of the room with her eyes downcast. "I'll speak to you in a bit, okay?" Daniela nodded, watching her friend leave with a guarded expression before turning back to Tyler, eager for some distraction.

Ryanne ran up the stairs as fast her legs would take her, throwing her arms against the dirty walls in an effort to steady herself. She lost all sense of grace as she clambered up and up - and suddenly she was panting, ripping at her chest, overcome with the tight grip of claustrophobia. A small part of her realised that she was panicking and that she needed fresh air. As if on autopilot, she found herself snatching up a small key, her hand shaking as she tried to unlock the door that lead into the balcony. The panic behind her ribs seemed to double in size, but suddenly she was outside with the cool breeze of the late morning sweeping over her face and she could breathe again. She leant against the railing, taking in deep gulps of the crisp air, feeling her heart slow down as the panic ebbed away.

"You like it out here, don't you?" Despite herself, Ryanne smiled as she heard his voice.

"Mmm. So do you."

"Mmm," Reid echoed, moving to stand next to her. The door swung shut, giving them some short-lived privacy. Unlike the previous night, his eyes were bright and mischievous, and she gave him a quick one over in appreciation. "Different this time though."

"As night and day," she agreed softly. Somehow, despite all the jumping around from emotion to emotion, Reid had brought with him a sense of peace. His edges were dark: the sardonic smirk, aggressive demeanor, bone-deep bitterness - but there was a vivid light that pulsed within him, a hope that Ryanne so desperately wanted to taste.

Unnerved by her reaction to his mere presence, Ryanne turned away and climbed up onto the balcony railing so that her long legs hung over the side. Reid watched in alarm for a moment, certain she was going to fall to her death right before his very eyes. Without another thought, he lurched forwards and grasped her arms, carefully holding her upright. Ryanne laughed loudly and leant back into his grip.

"This is unexpected. I thought you hated even the thought of touching me." Reid made a sound of displeasure.

"It was either this or let you splatter on the ground, and I don't think Pogue would have liked that," he snapped back, which only made her laugh harder.

"Sure, sure. I do this all the time, I'm not gonna fall." Reid grumbled something, but didn't let go. He slipped one arm around her waist and moved to her side so that he could look out across the city view. It wasn't very interesting but there was a certain serenity at being able to overlook the quiet movements of the morning. Ryanne smiled and leant against his side, finding that she quite liked his touch.

"When are you going home?" she asked him.

"Caleb wants us to leave this afternoon, if possible." Ryanne nodded against his shoulder, having expected as much though the sudden deadline did make her breathing hitch for a second.

"This is so beyond me," she murmured after a while, running a hand over her face. Reid glanced at her, achingly curious as to what was happening between her and Jace. He wanted to know her secrets, he wanted to open up her mind so that all those meandering thoughts would spill out into his hands, only for him to hold.

"This isn't even a 'bad' thing, it's just a 'I don't know what the hell to do' thing."

"What's happened?" Reid finally asked, careful to keep his voice emotionless.

"It's really complicated."

"How so?"

"Well... it's actually something that happened just under two years ago. Something... big. Something above me. Being where I was and who I was, I didn't have anyone to turn to, so Jace - like usual - took control. He gave me my options, persuaded me to pick the one he felt was right - to be fair, I suppose it was the right one at the time - and that was that. Now that my situation has changed, it's all coming back and I have to make the same decision all over again."

Reid peered down at the redhead on his shoulder as she stared out into the morning sky. For a moment he tried to remind himself how young she was... sixteen, right? That's so young. A baby. Then, of course, he had to remind himself how young he was. Not even eighteen, not even ascended. He was, what, a year older than her? That was nothing. They were children in a world of adults.

How come then, when he listened to her voice or caught himself in the mirror, he saw them as the eldest of them all? Grown and world-wise. Pain-ridden and scarred, they were children who had been forced to age beyond their years, then left to rot in their infant bodies. Sometimes Reid thought that maybe he was as old as the Earth, bones of soil and bark, a dark ocean in place of his heart - and this girl, this young girl, was the nature to his planet. Her soul was rich and fertile, her spirit made of the bluest flame. She melted the ice of his thoughts, brought a cool breeze to the sweaty grip around his ribcage. They may have been children but the threads of time itself were weaved in her hair, the night sky shone from the depths of his arctic sea eyes. Maybe one day, at the end of it all, they would fall back into the core of this planet and only then will they find their peace.

"Ryanne, what aren't you telling me?"

The girl sighed - it was the sound of sunrise wind blowing through the mountain tops - and sat up straight so that she could gaze into the familiar eyes of this stranger.

"You can trust me," Reid found himself saying. Ryanne swallowed and looked away, her eyes glazing over as she told her deepest secret.

"I - I have a... child."

For a second, Reid's grip went lax and Ryanne swayed with the sudden lack of support. She righted herself just as Reid shook himself from his shock and held her again.

"You have a - child?" Ryanne nodded, the movement stiff.

"I can't - that's not... what I expected."

"Of course it isn't," Ryanne sighed. "It never is. A kid with a kid. I'm such a cliché, it hurts." She forced a bark of laughter and Reid could feel the tension in her body as she stared down at the pavement far below, her expression unreadable.

"I love her though," she began, softly. "I really, really do. When I was pregnant, I was so scared. It was kept a secret; for the last few months I was hidden here in the base, then carted off to the hospital to give birth. It was a horrible experience, I hated every second of it. For the entire nine months, I felt absolutely no connection to the thing inside of me, none at all. All I knew was my panic and fear, terrified of what Richard would do if he found out, what my mother would say if she was ever lucid enough to notice. I didn't think about what I would do with the baby after, I only thought of myself. I knew that Jace just assumed it would be sent off to an orphanage, no doubt about it." She took a deep breath.

"Then, when I went into labour and gave birth, everything changed. I held this tiny thing in my arms." She moved her arms into a cradle position as she remembered holding her child for the first time. "She was so small, so perfect. All pink and cute and fragile. I never wanted to let her go. I couldn't believe that this beautiful baby had been inside me for all that time and I had never, once, thought about her as my _child. _Of course, I didn't want to give her up, I wanted to hold her forever and ever - and it was Jace's turn to panic." She dropped her arms, and leant back into Reid's shoulder.

"He was scared that Richard would - I don't know, react badly to me waltzing into the house with a child. I said that I could move into the base but oh no, that wouldn't do. I was too young to have a child, he said, which of course was true but I couldn't imagine being able to hand her over to someone else. Still, he somehow managed to convince me. To this day, I don't know how he did it, but somehow he was able to take that girl out of my arms and leave me in his room while he handed her over to the local orphanage. That - that was the last time I ever saw her."

There was a thick silence as Ryanne dropped her head, squeezing her eyes tightly shut.

"You were so young," Reid found himself whispering, frowning down at her. "Maybe you did the right thing." Ryanne mumbled something before straightening up again.

"Mmm, yes. Maybe. Anyway, the orphanage phoned today saying that my government records have been updated to include a next of kin who is of age. I thought that they would have pulled my records a while ago but they never did, which leads us to today. They want to know if I want to take her home or lose all connection with her entirely. That... I don't know how to make that decision."

"Haven't you made it already?" Ryanne glanced up at him and Reid explained.

"Jace is pissed off with you for a reason. You've already made the decision to keep her, haven't you?"

"Yes. Yes, I have." There it was. That tone of finality and realisation. She had made the decision already, and that was that.

"Addyson is my daughter. Sure, I'm young, but I have a family now, right? I want to bring her up properly, show her that she's loved and cared for. Not leave her in the mercy of some uncaring foster parent." She hesitated. "I am making the right choice, aren't I?"

Reid sighed, wondering how on earth to answer such a heavy question.

"I think so. You love her, don't you? That's enough, for now. We can think about everything else once we're home."

_Home. We. _Somehow, during their short stay in London, Reid had come to include Ryanne in everything he held dear. They were a collective now, the whole family. They weren't alone anymore.

"We need to get ready to leave," he murmured after a while. "Shall we go pick up your daughter?"

Oh God, to hear him say that was like a shock to the system. It sounded so... she didn't know what it sounded like. Not quite right, but more _right _than anything else in the world.

"I'm so young to be a mother," she whispered.

"That's the funny thing about age, you're just going to get older. You won't be a young mother for much longer." Ryanne smiled but it wavered with uncertainty and Reid lost the cheeky tone.

"It's okay to admit that you don't know what you're doing," he said softly.

"I know what I'm doing," she said, but it sounded unreassuring even to her.

"Ryanne you're hanging off the edge of a building." Ryanne blushed and looked down at the pale hand that was keeping her steady. She was dangling dangerously off the side of a crumbling building, the pavement stretched out far below. Flakes of red rust fell from the railing. Somehow, without realising, she had let go of the balcony, leaving only Reid to keep her from falling.

Despite everything and everyone, it was Reid, in all his sarcastic and bitter glory, who had followed her out to the balcony; it was Reid who had wrapped his arm around her waist and held her when no one else knew how to. It was Reid who, when even she herself couldn't hold herself up, had kept her safe.

She had told him her secrets; he had become her anchor.


	22. Don't Put All Your Hope In One Person

_2012: rewrite_

_While the 'plot' of this chapter has remained exactly the same, the focus has changed so that it's mostly tidbits from our lovely Sons, including the almighty Caleb who doesn't get much airtime in this story._

_Enjoy & much love._

* * *

**22**

**Don't Put All Your Hope In One Person**

* * *

Even as she walked away from him, drifting silently down the stairs, Reid could still feel the warmth of her body pressed up against his side. Belatedly he realised that he should be following her and so together they made their way back into the kitchen where a group of tired guards were spilling out into the garden. Nael and Vesper were hovering around the hob, laughing and bumping into each other as they made thirds for the still hungry gang members who had just been released from their latest shift.

Reid spied his Covenant brothers sat without him in the corner of the kitchen, whispering and murmuring to each other in the way that they always did. He took a moment to acknowledge that those three stupid, messed up boys where his family. They were his everything and anything, the only constant in his life and the only ones who had the courage to stay. Sometimes - all the time - he hated them. He wanted to scream at them, shout and swear at them, maybe sob at them. He wanted to demand that they listen to him, look at him - _really look _in the way that no one else would; he wanted to grab them by their ribcages, grab them by their stupid fucking Power, throw them up into the heavens and slam them down into hell so that maybe they could see him for what he really was.

Yet - he loved them. He couldn't imagine a life without them in it, he wouldn't imagine it. If they were at his side then the world was okay. His world was safe and secure and the oceans wouldn't drain and the land wouldn't crumble, and there would be another tomorrow and another after that. They were his Covenant. They were his true addiction.

Just then, as if sensing the weight of his best friend's thoughts, Tyler glanced up and locked eyes with the blonde. Despite being the youngest and most gentle, he possessed a sharpness that the other three couldn't even dream of having. In less than a second, Tyler had delved deep into the turmoil of his closest friend and was on his feet. Caleb and Pogue looked up and saw the connection between the younger two and let them get on with it, respecting the divide.

Ryanne, who was stood next to Reid, watched with guarded eyes as Tyler approached them. There was an awareness in her green gaze that the pair found refreshing as she quickly walked away, giving them their privacy. They ducked out into the hallway and Reid moved to sit on the bottom step of the stairs, dropping his head into his hands.

"Reid, man, what's going on?" Straight to the heart of the matter. Reid sighed and shrugged.

"Nothing, Ty."

"Don't look like nothin' to me." Tyler raised his eyebrow at the blonde, prompting him to roll his eyes. "You two keep disappearing off together. Did she tell you what all that fuss between her and Jace was about?" When Reid didn't answer, he let out a quiet hum. "Of course she did. What is it with you two, that whenever you get near each other, you spill out all your deepest, darkest thoughts?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Reid ground out.

"Seriously, man, the entire house heard your fight last night. Hell, Wayne heard it and gave Pogue a call to see what was going on." Not appreciating Tyler's exaggeration, Reid merely let out a grunt.

"Reid, come on. You don't have to tell me anything - but... you're okay right?" Reid glanced up at him and Tyler continued on, slightly nervous but not because he felt awkward but because he was worried about the beating his best friend's skull was taking from the inside. "You've been different these past few days. Angry, quiet. Thoughtful. You're paying close attention to Ryanne."

"It's no big deal," Reid finally muttered, leaning back against the wall, his face drained and pale. "I don't know. We talk and I like it. She didn't cry when I shouted at her, so she got some brownie points there. When we talk... I don't know. It's stupid. I can't explain it."

"It's not stupid, Reid. It's okay to have friendships outside of the Covenant that aren't based on pure hatred for one another. It's good that you get on with Ryanne: Pogue was worried that you didn't like her."

"I don't. I didn't. It doesn't matter." Tyler sighed and sat down next to the blonde, bumping their shoulders together.

"Reid. It's okay." Nothing more was said. Nothing more needed to be said. Tyler knew that Reid wasn't one to listen to reason or justifications. He knew that Reid would wrap himself up in his own thoughts and would hang himself from them until he found a way to splinter the rope. He knew that his best friend was sombre but rarely sober, eager to please and eager to be pleased. He knew that Reid was searching for something, perhaps an escape route or maybe just a curtain call - but most of all, Tyler knew that Reid just needed to be told that it was okay.

Sometimes they all did.

* * *

The time had come again for Ryanne to jump between homes. Somehow, when she wasn't looking, everything had changed and London was no longer her centre. It would always be her past but no longer was it her future. The winds were blowing in a new direction and she was just about ready to close her eyes and let herself be carried away.

It looked like she was going to have to take some baggage with her though, and not the emotional kind. When lunch had finished and everyone had disappeared off to do whatever they had to do, Caleb had called his boys over to the corner. Daniela and Ryanne ended up joining with their conversation with Nael and Vesper floated around the room behind them, tidying away the multitude of plates and cutlery left over from the busy lunch.

Caleb told them he had booked their flights back to Ipswich and so they had about an hour to get ready. Ryanne had expected her stomach to drop at the expected news but instead she felt light: she had spent years of her life dreaming of an escape and here she was, finally getting it. It wasn't perfect but it was okay, and okay was a lot better than whatever the hell it had been before.

"You gonna miss me?" Ryanne drawled to Daniela at her side, shooting her a lazy smile. The brunette shrugged and shook her head.

"Nope." She popped the 'p' between her lips, watching as Ryanne deflated from the unexpected response.

"Well, gee. Thanks." Daniela laughed and straightened up from where she had been leaning on the kitchen counter.

"I'm not gonna miss ya, because I'm coming with you, silly." Ryanne frowned, confused, and Daniela explained. "You see, the only reason I came back from the States in the first place was because I heard Jace was in the hospital, so now that's all sorted I can go back. I'll just stick with you for a bit then go wherever afterwards. Alright?" Ryanne grinned and threw herself at her friend, hugging her fiercely.

"Really, really? That's great! I never get to spend much time with you anymore, so we can really hang out now. Wait, oh..." She turned to Pogue, looking apprehensive.

"Is there, er, is there room for her to stay?" Her half-brother, having not really paid any attention to the girls' conversation, only blinked at them. Caleb rolled his eyes and answered for his friends, shoving him lightly with his shoulder.

"Yes, there is. Daniela already asked whether she could come and Wayne's fine with it - all of it." Ryanne's grin flew back into place and she did a mini happy dance in the middle of the kitchen, twirling in a circle before pulling Riot back into another hug.

Unbeknownst to them, an eavesdropper was perched on the staircase in the hallway, legs dangling between the balustrade as she listened into the conversation taking place in the kitchen. Like usual, Vesper had been left out of the 'adult talk' for no one cared for the opinion of a child. The girl grumbled to herself, hating her age. The majority of _Brethren _were young adults, many of them teenagers, and so youth wasn't something one often used as judgement. Yet, Vesper was often referred to as the baby, the infant of the gang. Young, naive, helpless, she offered nothing to the gang members who dealt in knives and guns. Vesper knew that the main reason she was kept around and tolerated was because of Ryanne and Jace. She had grown up with Ryanne mostly, and Jace was so besotted with the girl that she got what she wanted - and so Vesper got a free hall pass through the dirty ranks of the nastiest gang in London.

But it was okay. Vesper could deal with being the youngest because she would grow. Soon, in a few months, she would be sixteen and she would no longer be a baby. She could deal with being young.

What she couldn't deal with was being second best. Vesper had stayed with Ryanne threw thick and thin. She had done everything she could to make her happy and be there for her. No matter what happened, Vesper was there... and yet, despite all that, Ryanne still picked fucking _Riot _over her.

Daniela had been around in _Brethren_ almost as long as Ryanne had. In fact, it was a very small world when it come to Daniela. Vesper wasn't quite sure what the history was between her and Ryanne because somehow when Daniela had turned up out of the blue, the redhead had known who she was. She was given a place to stay, food to eat, protection and shelter for months on end before Jace started pressuring Ryanne to explain who she was. Of course, Vesper had been excluded from that conversation, as usual. Whatever had been said had apparently been enough for Jace, and she had been accepted graciously into the heart of _Brethren. _Nowadays, she often did the international jobs, travelling over to the United States to smooth over relations between the across-seas gangs. Apparently Daniela's mother had been American, so she usually stayed with her family over there rather than remaining in London.

Which, of course, was great news for Vesper. Because Vesper resented Daniela an awful lot. It was hard for Vesper to show it because the young girl was too kind-hearted to be malicious or spiteful - and she had to admit that Daniela was actually a really nice person. But whenever Ryanne would pick Daniela over Vesper, or hide the younger girl away, or leave her in the dust so that she could run off into the arms of lovely _Riot, _Vesper couldn't help but feel something akin to hatred curdling in her chest.

Take now, for instance. Daniela had invited herself into Ryanne's new home, into her new life. She had just assumed that she would be welcome and made all the arrangements to join her. She didn't ask Ryanne, she just went ahead and did it. _The audacity. _Vesper would never dream of doing something so presumptuous. Daniela wasn't even there when Ryanne left. She wasn't there was Ryanne's mum died, she wasn't there for anything. Vesper was. So how come Daniela gets to go with her to God damn _America_, while Vesper is sat out in the hallway, alone and unnoticed?

Vesper was so wound up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice someone was standing in front of her until he cleared his voice.

"Er, hello?" Vesper jumped and peered down at Tyler with wide eyes. The youngest Son likened her to a puppy with her fluffy chocolate locks and big, hazel eyes. His heart melted a little at the sight and he smiled at her. The frosty bitterness that he had seen swimming her in instantly softened at his expression and she swallowed.

_Oh, she fancied him so bad. _Vesper smiled back at him, her heart racing in her chest, her head in the clouds as she fell into his deep gaze, willing and unadulterated. She knew it was silly to like him but yet, whenever she saw Tyler she went all fluttery.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah, just, uh, waiting for Ry." Tyler nodded and then tilted his head as if studying her at great depth. Vesper fidgeted and looked away, unnerved by his stare. There was a long moment of silence until Tyler cleared his throat so that the girl looked back at him.

"Is your stuff ready?" At this, Vesper frowned.

"Sorry? I, er, I don't know what you mean..." Tyler glanced back into the kitchen as a flash of uncertainty darted across his features.

"Oh... I thought you were coming with us?" The effect was immediate. Vesper straightened up, her eyes becoming as bright as beacons as hope surged within her. Could it be that she wasn't forgotten? Could it be that Ryanne had requested for her to accompany her to her new home while Daniela had had to arrange it herself?

"Really? I'm coming?" Without waiting for Tyler's response, Vesper clambered to her feet and ran down the stairs, skidding into the kitchen with little grace, effectively bringing all conversation to a halt.

"Is it true, Ry? Am I going with you to America?"

"Oh, honey! Did no one tell you? Of course you're coming with me! That is, if you want to come?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Vesper practically yelled, spinning in a circle with a cry of glee. Those watching her laughed at her obvious mirth, and she ran over to hug her best friend. "Thank you! I need to go pack!" With that, she ran back out of the kitchen and up the stairs at a breakneck speed, talking to herself all the while about what to take with her. When it was certain that she was in her room, Daniela spoke.

"She's happy," she stated. Ryanne shrugged.

"Well, it was Nael's idea for her to go. What with the threat of this other gang hanging over the _Brethren_'s head right now, it's not safe for her to stay here and she'll just get in the way. Nael's gonna stay to keep an eye on Jace since Scar's in the hospital. As soon as everything's calmed down over here and she's had her little holiday, she can come back and it will all be back to normal. I think she's been feeling a bit left out anyway, so it will be nice for her to feel included."

Tyler shifted on his feet. For some reason he thought about that young girl as she scurried around her drab room, throwing moth-bitten clothes into a dirty old suitcase, and he thought that maybe she should have a bit more respect than '_she'll just get in the way'. _Maybe it was because he was the youngest of his group and he'd had to grow up with a firm tolerance of the 'baby boy' paradigm: he was the baby and always will be the baby. Even though he was born only a few weeks after Reid, even though he was just as strong as them and definitely more in control, he was the one that got under everyone's feet. So he knew what Vesper was feeling, to an extent. He recognised the distant, sometimes bitter look in her eyes for he had worn it many a time, and recognised where it came from. These people: Ryanne, Nael, the _Brethren _crew - whoever the fuck they were - were trying their best, he knew. They cared for the young girl and wanted her safe, but they held no respect for her - for no one respects a child. They love a child. They teach a child. They tell a child to shut the fuck up and move out of the God damn way. Tyler and Vesper, well, they were always going to children even if they lived to be a hundred, purely because they had been born last.

"Well, that's that then," Daniela murmured, dusting her hands against her thighs. "Looks like we're off on another adventure." Ryanne snorted, waving her hair out of her face.

"Who said we've finished this one yet?"

* * *

It was nothing less than unsettling for Caleb to watch as Reid sauntered his way across the hallway to whisper something silent and profound in Ryanne's ear. She laughed and leant into him in a way that made Caleb suspect she didn't even realise she was doing it. Reid picked up the duffel bag that had been sat at her feet and slung it over his shoulder, no doubt offering his usual charming smirk as he did so. Together they left the house, walking out into the early afternoon sun where three cars were waiting.

Caleb didn't like it. There was too much closeness between them - and there was too much at stake. He had nothing against Ryanne and was sure that she would quickly fit into their dynamic on a superficial level, but her presence in his family had triggered an array of possible consequences, none of which he wished to see come to fruition. How were they going to explain to her about the Covenant? Did the others really think it was just a case of becoming friends and suddenly the girl would just lap all the supernatural crap up, no questions asked? No, the best thing to hope for was that she would stay until she was eighteen and then she could go wherever she wanted to, and all they had to do was make sure she didn't find out. It was just a year, they could do that much, surely. They just needed to be careful and keep her at a distance.

Unfortunately, distance seemed to be impossible for Reid. Somehow, when nobody was looking, Reid and Ryanne had become _friends. _Caleb scoffed. What a load of bullshit. Reid didn't have friends and Ryanne was - well, he didn't know what she was but she certainly wasn't someone who could keep the blonde bombshell in her grasp. Which, in itself, was fair enough but now Caleb was worried. Friendships, no matter how short, meant closeness - it meant spilling secrets in the dead of night, sharing stolen kisses and tales, it meant showing Ryanne some black-eyed magic in order to woo her into bed, then having her scream all the way back to London, courtesy of Wayne's credit card. It meant Caleb having to clear up yet another one of Reid's spectacular messes without even a drop of gratitude.

"What's up with you?" Caleb was jogged out of his predictions by a light shove and he glanced up to see Pogue staring down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing. You ready? I want to leave in the next ten minutes, get to the airport on time."

"Oh, we're not going straight to the airport." The two Sons looked over at Ryanne who had slipped back into the hallway to pick up the rest of her belongings. Reid was hovering behind her, his head tilted down so that he was staring up at his brothers beneath his eyelashes. Caleb shivered; he was reminded of a predator.

"Why not?" Pogue asked. Ryanne swallowed nervously and glanced over her shoulder at Reid. Now, Caleb couldn't be sure but it looked as if the younger Son was offering Ryanne a solid look of reassurance. That couldn't be right.

"I - I need to pick... something up." Pogue frowned and stepped towards his sister.

"What do you mean?" Ryanne sighed as if suddenly weary with the conversation. She went to speak but her words knotted around her tongue and she began to choke on them, stuttering over half-hearted explanations that would do nothing but incur more questions. She stepped back next to Reid and threw him a desperate look, a silent plea for help. To Caleb and Pogue's astonishment, Reid answered for her, his voice calm and collected.

"Before we go to the airport, we need to pick up someone."

"Who?" There was a heartbeat of silence. Ryanne cringed.

"Ryanne's sister." Pogue gaped at Reid before turning his look of incredulity to Ryanne.

"_What? _You have a sister and you didn't think it would be a good idea to tell us?"

"None of the paperwork or the Court mentioned anything about you having a sister," Caleb noted suspiciously. Ryanne began to wring her trembling hands, looking as if she were a flighty bird ready to spread her wings and flee.

"She wouldn't have been mentioned because no one knew about her. She was - I, I - my mum didn't want another baby so she - she gave her up, put her in the orphanage. She never - the baby - never lived with us." Caleb wanted to know why Ryanne was so nervous but Pogue had other questions.

"Is that what the phone call was about?"

"Yeah, they asked me if I wanted to take her because a new next of kin was added to her file."

"So what? You're just going to swing round and pick up your sister, throw her on a plane and expect us to be okay with this? Have you even asked Wayne?" Ryanne blushed, dipping her head so she seemed smaller, younger.

"No, I haven't and I know I should've, but this whole thing has been so... fucked up, that I didn't really think about all the details. I'm sorry, I know I should have told you before but to be honest, I never really thought that it was something that would ever come up. I never... I never thought I'd see her again."

There was a long moment of silence. Caleb turned to Pogue, not at all pleased with this sudden change of events. He wasn't heartless, he wasn't cruel, he knew that he couldn't just expect Ryanne to give away her sister, but it wasn't as simple as she had assumed it would be. It wasn't her decision... but it wasn't his either. Pogue sighed and ran a hand through his long hair, silently wondering how his life would have gone differently if his father had never gone to that hotel where he met Ryanne's mother.

"I can't believe I've spent my entire life thinking I was an only child, and now in a week I've gained two sisters." He sighed again and straightened his shoulders. Ryanne followed his gaze, her eyes wide and intense as she tried to decipher what he was thinking. Deciding to make it easy for her, Pogue moved to bring her into a tight hug, resting his chin on her rosy hair. He took a moment to realise that he hadn't held her like this before, that only a week ago he would have screamed at the very thought of doing so. Yet here he was, an older brother hugging his little sister so that she might feel better. It had never been his dream and he was sure that if his life had gone on in the way that it always had, he wouldn't have missed it - but now that it was happening, he found that he had few regrets.

"Let's go get her."

And that was how, on that pleasant afternoon, Ryanne ended up at the orphanage. It was the same as she remembered it: dark, dank, dismal. A place of nightmares and shadows that got stuck behind your ribcage. The idea that her _daughter _had been here for years made her feel nauseous and overwhelmingly guilty. She tried to not think about it but found that she was unable to think of anything else.

A tall, overweight man appeared at the desk in the foyer of the dingy orphanage. He rubbed his hands down the front of his shirt and pulled the door behind him shut. The click of the handle echoed around the room.

"Hello, how can I help you?" Ryanne straightened her shoulders and stepped up to the desk.

"I received a phone call this morning from a Stewart? I made an appointment with him - is he available?" The man rustled some creased sheets of paper on the desk as if trying to look like he was doing something important, but then he gave up and just picked up the phone.

"Hey mate, some chick's here for you. Yeah. Yeah. Okay." He put down the phone and squinted up at Ryanne. "He'll be down in a moment."

Stewart emerged a few minutes later from a room to the left of the group: he was slender, tanned and very smiley. He thanked the man behind the desk before turning to Ryanne.

"It's lovely to meet you, Miss Valentine. If you would just come with me and we can go through all the legalities. We would need a witness...?" Ryanne turned and surveyed her small group of companions with a careful look. One part of her wanted to choose Reid and she held his gaze with the intention of asking him, but she quickly decided against it knowing that it would only confuse the others and perhaps send the wrong message. Instead she chose Daniela who happily obliged.

Going through the paperwork was laborious but quicker than expected. Ryanne signed here, here and here, and then suddenly she was being led up the stairs and into a room filled with young children. A few of them were running around, holding toys as they chased each other through the bedrooms. The rest were sat on the sofas or on pillows on the floor, watching some cartoon. Stewart gestured towards the bedroom at the far end of the floor where inside a little girl lay resting.

Ryanne opened the door as if was unsure what laid in wait behind it. Stewart shot her a reassuring smile but it went unseen. Taking a deep breath, Ryanne crept into the room and over to the cot, shaking as she peered down into it.

_Oh. _There she was. So tiny and fragile and beautiful. Without a second though, Ryanne leant down and carefully scooped up the sleepy toddler, cradling her in her arms. Stewart, needing no prompting, began to gather up the girl's belongings, folding away her blankets and putting together a small bag of clothes. He told her everything he knew about the infant as he led her back to the others in the foyer.

"Thank you," she whispered to him as he handed her the bags. He smiled and offered her a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"You're going to be great," he assured her, and waved goodbye as they disappeared out of the orphanage, most likely to never be seen again.

Back in the car, with some guard driving them to the airport, Ryanne held her daughter in her arms and didn't once look up from those pale grey eyes. She was in shock, in awe. Silenced by the power that the tiny baby held over her. How she had ever been able to give her up, she didn't know.

"So, er," Pogue began, breaking the silence. "What's her name?" Ryanne kept her gaze trained on her daughter and for a moment, Pogue thought that maybe she hadn't heard him - but when she spoke, she sounded surprised as if she couldn't quite believe what was happening.

"Addyson." Ryanne laughed, the sound light and genuine. Pogue leant over her shoulder and smiled down at the wriggling toddler, waving his fingers at her.

"She's cute." Ryanne just smiled, stroking her thumb down the baby's chubby cheek.

"You have a family," she whispered, "and you always will." Pogue laughed this time, leaning back in his seat. He saw the airport rise up out of the concrete swamp around them and he let out a sigh. He was pleased to be going home - but what would they be going home to?


	23. Seek And Ye Shall Fall

_2012: rewrite_

_The plot remains exactly the same here, just with more detail. Personally, I quite like the interaction between Reid and Ryanne at the end, and I think it leads onto the next chapter better, as well as being more realistic._

_Reviews are love, and feel free to point out any errors._

_Hope you enjoy. Much love._

* * *

**23**

**Seek and Ye Shall Fall**

* * *

It was both disturbing and impressive how quickly Wayne's expression slid from relief to confusion to disbelief to just plain nausea. A thunderous silence stretched around them as the aging man stared wide-eyed at his daughter holding a fidgeting baby in her arms. He tried to speak but no words came out, and when he continued to gape, Ryanne quickly launched into the speech that she had rehearsed over and over on the plane.

"Wayne, before you say anything, please don't panic! I promise you everything is okay and there's a reasonable explanation for all of this. I know I should have told you before we left and I'm sorry that I didn't, but my head was in the clouds and I just didn't think it through. This - this is Addyson, my baby sister. Half sister. She was put in the orphanage as soon as she was born and I never thought I would see her again, but then yesterday I got a call saying that because a new next of kin - you - had been added to my file - and therefore hers, because our files are connected or whatever - they wanted to know whether I wanted to take custody of here again, and I just couldn't say no, Wayne, I just couldn't!" She sucked in a deep breath, her cheeks red from her explosive speech but she didn't stop there. "I know it's gonna cost a lot to raise a baby and it's probably the last thing you want right now what with me and my friends barging in here and then your wife, but I will get a job and I will take care of her, and I can move out if you need me to, but pleasepleaseplease don't make me give her up - not again."

It took Wayne a minute to process the almost garbled speech and he felt a headache begin to form behind his eyes. When her words had slotted into place, he studied her carefully, noting the desperation clear behind those green eyes of hers. He couldn't deny that she was a fierce little thing and he almost gave a small chuckle at her intensity. Still, what she was asking for was an awful lot more than Wayne had ever expected to have to give. The last baby he had held had been his son, and now he would have to do it all over again - with a child that wasn't even his? He couldn't believe how drastically his life had changed in the last few weeks.

Could he refuse her? Well, of course he could. It wasn't a question of ability but morality. He just didn't think he had it in him to force his new daughter to return her sister to an orphanage. Letting out a heavy sigh, Wayne ran his hand over his face and leveled Ryanne with a steady gaze.

"I'm not going to make you send her away, but you need to understand the seriousness of looking after an infant." Ryanne nodded solemnly, clutching the golden-haired toddler to her as if she were afraid Wayne was about pluck her from her grasp. Hoping to soothe her fears, Wayne offered her a gentle smile and felt his heart lift a little when she returned it in kind.

"Come on then, get inside all of you." The Sons, who had waited patiently for the decision to be made, eagerly pushed into the house and rushed upstairs to dispose of their luggage. Wayne walked into the kitchen and started to prepare some warm milk for the child, his eyes aching as he turned on the hob. Ryanne followed him in, Vesper and Daniela close on her heels.

"So, you two are? I know the boys called ahead to check it was okay for you to come, but they didn't really tell me anything about you except that you're friends of Ryanne." Daniela immediately took on the responsibility of deciding what they were and weren't allowed to share with Wayne, and for once Vesper was okay with that.

"I'm Daniela and this is Vesper. We both kinda grew up with Ryanne. Vesper lived next door to her when they were younger and I know Ryanne from... around." Wayne nodded as he tested the temperature of the milk.

"I've got some family over here, so I was planning on just staying for a few days to spend some time with Ryanne before I head off. I can move along whenever you want me to, of course. Vesper's just out for a short vacation, so she can go back whenever as well." Said girl shot Daniela a vicious glare that went unnoticed. Wayne nodded, not really liking that they were staying but was too kindhearted to do anything about it. At least they were't planning on staying for very long; he didn't think his marriage could withstand it.

Just then, the front door to the Parry manor opened and Wayne looked up to the heavens in despair. Speak of the devil. Without any ado, Anna waltzed into the kitchen with a cigarette in one hand and a white bag filled wine bottles in the other. Her eyes were slightly glazed over and it was easy to see that she was well on her way to being just as drunk as she planned to be.

"Anna, honey," Wayne murmured, setting down the warm milk next to Ryanne. Anna glared as her husband rushed towards her, stumbling a little to the side to avoid his halfhearted attempt at an embrace. She had just set down her wine bottles when she noticed their company. Her eyes narrowed in on Ryanne and she pulled her lips back in a twisted sneer.

"You're back," she stated flatly, and then froze when she spotted the baby sat on the counter, little hands reaching out for a lock of Ryanne's red hair. It seemed to take a few seconds for her to understand what she was seeing but when she did, she reared back like a frightened horse.

"A baby! She has a baby!" she shrieked, gesturing wildly at Addyson as she if she were a demon. Wayne tried to calm her down by resting his hands on her shoulders but she just smacked him away. Her long blonde hair whipped around her face, her pale eyes blazing through, bloodshot and bordering on insane. It was easy to see that with the large amount of alcohol in her system, coupled with a lifetime's worth of bitter emotion and stress, Anna was clinging on to the edge of her sanity with bloodless fingers.

"Have you never seen one before?" said Daniela snidely in response to the woman's cries, and Anna turned to her and Vesper with a shell-shocked expression.

"Who are you? Why are you in my house? Get out of my house! I want you out! What's going on? What's going on!" she howled, her voice breaking near the end.

"Anna, honey, these are Ryanne's friends. They're going to be staying with us for a short while, just a little while... and that's Addyson, Ryanne's sister."

"You have another daughter?" Anna screamed, her voice so shrill it rebounded painfully off the glass cabinet doors, and Addyson began to cry. Ryanne hurried to soothe her, propping her against her hip and making wordless shushing sounds in her ear.

"No!" Wayne hurried to explain. "She's Ryanne's half-sister, from her mother's side. I have no relation to her at all - how could you think that I would do that to you?"

"Oh, because it's not like you haven't done it before!" Addyson refused to be comforted by her mother, and so she began to scream herself, thrusting her little arms out. The creak of footsteps from above could just about be heard over the cacophony of screaming and yelling and unheeded explanations, but Ryanne quickly dismissed them when Anna threw her cigarette stub towards her.

"What the fuck!" Daniela spat while Ryanne moved out of the way, allowing the cigarette to fall harmlessly into the sink, ash swirling in a perfect circle before disappearing down the drain.

"Are we running a God damn hotel now or something?" Not waiting for a reply, Anna picked up her wine bottles and, with a choked curse that was more of a sob, spun on her heel and unsteadily ran from the kitchen like an injured animal.

"Leave me alone!" they heard her screech from the hallway and then there was only silence interrupted by a bedroom door being slammed. Ryanne knew, just knew, that Pogue was standing outside the kitchen, no doubt frozen where he stood. No one should have to see their mother so broken. Wayne sagged against the counter as if his strings had been cut. Ryanne was pretty sure that at least one of them had.

Sometimes Ryanne wondered how different her life would have been if she had been born into a so-called 'normal' family. What would it have been like to have happily married parents, to live in a comfortable house, to go to school and have lots of friends? There was a part of her that had yearned for such a dream since she could remember.

"I'm sorry, Wayne," she murmured, hesitantly resting her hand on his shoulder. After a moment he covered her hand with his own. When he straightened up again, Ryanne motioned for her friends to follow her out of the kitchen. Just as she had suspected, Pogue was hovering outside and they shared a poignant glance before he disappeared into the kitchen, no doubt to talk with his father. Sighing, Ryanne climbed the stairs, the others behind her; she had intended to take them to her bedroom but they met the other Sons on the landing and immediately their interest was redirected.

"Tyler!" Vesper grinned and bounced over to the youngest Son who was more than happy to entertain her. Daniela, less enthusiastic but nonetheless eager, swooped into the conversation, resting her shoulder on Vesper in a way that she knew pissed the younger girl off – which, of course, was why she did it.

Ryanne rolled her eyes at the pair, more than aware that both of them were rather interested in Tyler, and let them fight it out between them. She walked into her room and kept the door open just in case they decided to follow her after all.

She rearranged back her blankets and pillows to make a little nest in the middle of her bed, and carefully lowered Addyson into it. Making sure that she wasn't about to crawl off the side, Ryanne began to undress, her eyes never leaving the twittering child for more than a few seconds. She tugged off her jeans and her t-shirt, throwing them over the chair. When Addyson began to grumble at receiving no attention, she leant over and waggled her fingers at the girl, stroking her full cheeks with a smile. As she straightened up, she caught sight of Reid watching her from the doorway. Not one to be modest at being caught in a state of undress, Ryanne just smirked and beckoned him into the room.

"Enjoying the view?" she teased, and Reid rolled his eyes, the barest hint of a smile pulling at his lips. He lingered at the edge of the bed, silently offering to watch Addyson as Ryanne got changed. Still, he was a man and he couldn't help but occasionally shoot the girl a glance, admiring her creamy skin that looked so smooth he wanted to run his fingers across it. She was of average height if not a little taller than most others her age, and was very slender which Reid guessed was probably from lack of available food rather than through choice. Still, he didn't care about that: what he noticed the most and found it hard to look away from was the contrast between her skin, her indulgent red hair, and her piercing green eyes. There was a steady vibrancy about her, a depth that he felt almost unable to resist.

"What're you looking at?" Reid snapped his gaze back round to Addyson who was sucking on her fingers and clapping them together.

"We need to get you some clothes. Yours are horrible." Ryanne raised her eyebrows but Reid was too busy forcing himself to not look at her that he didn't notice. She laughed as she buttoned up her scruffy jeans, not at all offended by Reid's comments.

"This is true, but I need to find a job first," she reminded him, the conversation they'd had by the pool coming to mind. Reid seemed to be remembering it too and he shrugged it away.

"I'm sure we can afford a few clothes," he replied offhandedly. Ryanne grinned, not missing his use of 'we'. She stood on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek and smiled all the wider when he didn't push her away.

"Ooh, I'm going to be a kept girl!" Reid rolled his eyes and sat down next to Addyson, easily pulling the baby onto his lap. Ryanne was surprised at this but was careful to not say anything - she knew from experience that Reid didn't like it when people pointed out the nice things he did. Why that was, she didn't know but she was determined to find out.

"How does it feel?" Reid quietly asked her. Ryanne swallowed and shrugged, glancing at the open door.

"Weird... but good. I never thought this would happen so now that it has, it's taking some getting used to. I'm happy though."

"Are you going to tell anyone else?"

"I don't know. I don't really want to plan that far ahead. Come what may, I suppose." Reid nodded, bouncing the baby on his lap.

This was one of those moments in his life when he wondered just what the hell he was doing. Why on earth was he holding a baby? Why on earth was he in Ryanne's room? Why on earth could he not leave the girl alone? All he ever thought about was the stupid redhead and her stupid voice and her stupid eyes and Jesus Christ he wanted it to stop.

He did. He wanted it to stop. He wanted to be able to get up in the morning without his first thought being about her. He wanted to go to sleep without wondering how she was. He wanted to be empty and stoic and uncaring. He wanted nothing but his brothers, magic, beer and one night stands. He wanted fucking and drinking and jumping off cliffs. He wanted fights and car chases and -

It was no use. He wanted _her._


	24. Be Careful Who You Wish For

_2012: rewrite_

_Yay for Reid and Ryanne fluff! I love Reid Garwin, yes I do._

_PorcelainChaos has just gotten back in touch with me! Time for my happy dance._

_Enjoy! feel free to point out any mistakes. Much love._

* * *

**24**

**Be Careful Who You Wish For**

* * *

The need to sleep was an ache that sat heavy in his bones, but Reid couldn't get his thoughts to settle. Hours he spent tossing and turning in his bed before he gave up and lay still, staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. He knew just how many gilt spirals danced above him for this was the room that he always stayed in whenever he slept over at the Parry's. He had planned on going home but he just couldn't face the empty rooms yet again, and so he and Tyler had stayed over while Pogue and Caleb had gone to pick up their girlfriends and stay over at theirs.

Accepting that he wasn't about to fall asleep anytime soon, Reid gave a deep sigh and sat up in the bed. His window was open, letting in a stream of cool air and thick moonlight that swam across his duvet and over his bare skin. Not quite knowing what else to do, Reid went over to the window and gazed out over the expansive Parry grounds. His room overlooked the small wooded area that spread across the four families' properties. It was the only bit of their land that their forefathers hadn't cut down and modernised, leaving the shallow lake and overgrown greenery relatively untouched. When they'd been children, the Sons had often played between the trees, thinking up some ridiculous adventure in which they'd have to battle dragons and evil knights, and use their magical powers to free four devastatingly beautiful young maidens from danger.

Just as his reminiscing brought a distant smile to his lips, Reid caught sight of movement far below. He strained his eyes to see through the thick treetops and just as he decided that he had imagined it, he saw a flash of red underneath the moonlight.

"Ryanne," he whispered, imagining her trekking through the trees. It was very late to be wandering around in some woods, and Reid realised that he _just absolutely had to _go and make sure she was alright. If something happened to her, and Pogue somehow found out that he had known she was down there – well, it wouldn't be pretty. Therefore, as much as he really, _really_ didn't want to, Reid began to get dressed. He was still tugging on his t-shirt from the day before as he crept down the stairs. He knew that if he climbed through the break in the fence behind the pool, it would bring him out near the lake.

Despite his shortcut, Ryanne was already there by the time Reid got to the lake. She had sat herself down by the water's edge, her fingers creating gentle ripples as she drew them back and forth over the lake's surface. A shaft of moonlight dusted her crown and her cheeks, draining her of all colour. Everything about her was waxen and cold; she appeared as if she were a ghost, or maybe a deity, waiting for something that did not yet exist. It disturbed Reid to see her so frozen: he was the ice, not her. No, she was the flame: radiant, warm, passionate and biting, consuming all that she touched.

Surprised by the intensity of his own thoughts, Reid shook them out and moved to sit down next to the girl. She didn't seem surprised that he had found her, not even looking at him as he got comfortable. Not really having anything to say, Reid was content for them to sit in companionable silence, quickly falling into deep thought. When Ryanne spoke, he turned to study her profile: she was half in the moonlight, shadows hiding in the hollows of her eyes.

"I knew you'd find me," she murmured, refusing to look at him.

"How so?"

"I… I don't know. I just did." Reid raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. A small part of him knew that if he hadn't gotten out of bed at that exact moment in time and decided to go to the window, then he wouldn't have seen her. It was all very convenient. Did that say something? He told himself that it didn't.

"I couldn't sleep," she went on to say.

"Neither could I," he murmured, hunching his shoulders against the cool breeze. Ryanne glanced at him for the first time, and slowly slid closer so that she could lean against him, offering some of her body heat. Reid clenched his jaw before forcing himself to relax, and he let out a long sigh.

"You don't like any of this touchy feely stuff, do you?" she asked with a chuckle. Reid just raised an eyebrow at her, making her laugh all the more.

"I have to say, I was surprised that you didn't push me away or anything. I remember when you used to hate me!"

"Who says I changed my mind?" Ryanne pouted, and she looked so ridiculous that Reid had to laugh. She shoved his shoulder before settling against him, more comfortable than she would have ever expected.

"I can't believe out of all you four, _you're _the one that I'm, like, close with." She seemed suddenly awkward and twitched as if she were going to pull away. Rolling his eyes, Reid wrapped his arm around her shoulder, keeping her firmly where she was. Ryanne let out a little huff but smiled despite herself.

"I'm the stereotypical 'manwhore', Ryanne," he abruptly said. "I'm the playboy, the trouble-maker, the one that doesn't give a shit. I like to fuck, drink and have fun. I don't like restrictions or bullshit authority. If you try to fuck with my family, I _will_ make you regret it."

"I'm not going to fuck with your family, Reid," Ryanne said very quietly. Reid let go of a breath he didn't realise he had been holding and forced his shoulders to relax. He knew that he was getting tense because this was a situation he wasn't entirely comfortable with.

"I know," he breathed, swallowing thickly. He didn't know what was wrong him, why he was acting like this.

"Reid… I know that I pose a threat to your family. I can't imagine the conflict and the stress that I have caused and for that, I'm really sorry. I hope you know that I never meant for this to happen… though, I never meant for much to happen."

"I know that you never meant for this to happen, Ryanne," Reid said softly, feeling incredibly vulnerable, "because you never meant for your mother to die." Ryanne froze for a moment but relaxed almost instantly, leaning more heavily on the blonde. It was nice for someone to acknowledge that out loud.

"But she did die, and I am here. I don't know what's going to happen to Pogue's mum, and I definitely don't know what's going to happen with Addyson. All I know is that I want to take this amazing second chance I've been given and run with it. I want to be happy and for my daughter to be happy. I want my family to be happy: Pogue, Wayne, you, everyone here, everyone back home."

"That's a lot to ask for," Reid answered and Ryanne shrugged against him. "Y'know, I don't think anyone has told me that they want me to be happy before." Ryanne turned to look at him, not quite sure what he was getting at.

"Ever?" When he said nothing, she spoke again, quieter this time. "Reid, why did you tell me all that stuff about you a minute ago?" Reid looked down for a moment, not quite sure what his answer should be because he wasn't even sure himself. He was confused, conflicted, but he felt like he had to say something.

"I'm not a perfect person, Ryanne. The others certainly don't think so. I'm the worst of the four, and have no hope or want to get better. I fuck things up – a lot. They say that I'm too extreme, that I either care too much or too little. Caleb says that I don't have a heart, that I'm reckless and a load of other shit that I don't really give a fuck about. That I'm the bad boy… that I'm nothing." He clenched his jaw tight together, immediately wishing that he could take back that last bit.

"Fuck, I sound so pathetic." He ripped himself away from Ryanne and sprung to his feet. Ryanne stared at his tense back, his muscles quiver in anger underneath his t-shirt. After a moment she got to her feet and walked around to stand in front of him. He looked away but that didn't faze her.

"You don't sound pathetic – and you're _not _nothing," she said over the top of his vicious scoff. "Who the fuck gives a shit what Caleb or the others say? The only opinion of you that matters is your own. If you're happy with who you are, then that's all that counts." It took Reid a long moment before he gathered the courage to speak and even then his voice was deathly quiet.

"What if I'm not?" He didn't wait for Ryanne to say anything and instead threw himself into an angry, desperate tirade. "They're right. I have no future, no hope! Caleb told me once that I would live alone and die alone. That my behaviour would push everyone away until I had no one left, and that maybe I deserved it. That there would come a day where even my family, the ones who claim to love me, would leave and I would have no one to blame but myself. He's right. I don't mean anything to anyone. I _am_ nothing."

It took Ryanne a moment to process what she was hearing. Such a self-deprecating rant seemed so unlike Reid that for a split second she wondered whether he was making fun of her – but no one could fake that look in his eye. It looked like he was drowning and didn't expect anyone to save him.

In her mind was a picture. She saw Reid as the night sky; as the moon. He was so full of dark things that he shone brighter than anybody. He was made from the stars, encased in ice and crystal. His eyes were the colour of a twilight ocean because they were made of the same substance. He would never be alone because the ocean surrounds us and no matter how far the tide pushed people away, they would follow it back into his arms. But of course, she couldn't tell him that so she went for a different truth.

"Only you can find your own happiness, Reid. It doesn't matter what anybody else says. Who the fuck does Caleb think he is? I don't know what's going on with the four of you and your elite club or whatever the fuck it is, but even Caleb doesn't have the authority to dictate how you should feel about yourself. He doesn't know your future, he doesn't know shit. Reid, you've got to find your own happiness, regardless of where you get it from. If it's from fucking and drinking, then great! If it's from moving away and doing your own thing, then great! If it's from finding someone and… falling in love, then great. It's up to you. Fuck everyone else."

There was such a long silence that Ryanne was convinced Reid was just going to ignore everything she just said. Just as she went to grab his shoulder, maybe shout at him some more, Reid turned and looked at her with such an intense look, she blushed. He smiled at the redness in her cheeks, slowly losing his tension.

"You are definitely not what I expected," he said. "It seems that you have a habit of saying things others don't want to." She smiled back at him, glad that he was back to his old self. He got this strange expression on his face and it took Ryanne a moment to realise that he looked apologetic. Guessing that he wasn't one to apologise often, Ryanne just smiled and nodded.

"It's okay." Glad that he didn't have to say the words, Reid quickly steered the conversation away from his embarrassing outburst. He snatched up Ryanne's arm and dragged her over to where they had been sitting before. They sat down together, Ryanne easily falling back into place against his shoulder, his arm snaking around her as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Reid wasn't sure how long they stayed there for. Time seemed different underneath those trees, as they sat there gazing out over the calm lake. He found that his head was clearer than it had been a long time, and the ever constant ache of his Power had been almost unnoticeable. He wanted to stay out there as long as possible but when the moonlight brightened into a sunrise glow, they both decided that it was time to head in.

As they walked back to the manor, Reid once again studied Ryanne's profile. He was happy to see that the frost had melted away and he could see her fire flickering behind those green eyes. She was earth and flame – she should never be cold.

They quietly made their way up through the house, whispering to one another as they went. Reid held open her bedroom door when they reached it, and she sent him a beaming, grateful smile. The force of it stunned him for a moment, so much so that he didn't notice Ryanne had stepped towards him until he felt her lips on his cheek.

"Thanks," she whispered, and then she was gone. Reid stared at her closed door for a minute longer before slipping back into his own room, the window still open. Through it he could hear the birds singing and see the sun rising over the horizon: the start of something new. Suddenly exhausted, he pulled off his t-shirt and climbed tiredly into bed. With Ryanne's smile burning brightly behind his eyes, Reid finally fell asleep.

* * *

It took Tyler longer than usual to realise that he was being watched, too deeply submerged in his latest book to notice much else around him. When he felt the distinct sensation of eyes on him, he looked up to see Vesper hiding behind the doorframe, her big, round eyes peering over at him. Tyler smiled at the nervous girl and put down his book, beckoning her into the room with a wave. She let out a wordless grumble at being caught but complied nonetheless; she eyed up the space on the loveseat next to Tyler but chose the long chaise instead.

"Peeking, were we?" he teased, causing Vesper to blush. She shrugged, trying to play off her embarrassment. She hadn't meant to watch him but she had been walking past and had seen him just sat there, quiet and untouchable in the reading room. The sight of him had intrigued her and then she found she just couldn't look away.

"Sorry if I disturbed you," she replied, her voice stronger than one might have expected. He shook his head and assured her that she hadn't. He was always an early riser, preferring to take himself away with some coffee and a book before the rest of the group woke up. It was maybe a little 'uncool' but Tyler couldn't bring himself to mind.

"What are you reading?"

"Oh, just some random book I picked off the bookshelf. It's not brilliant, but it offers a distraction." Vesper nodded, smiling at him.

"I know what you mean. It's always so busy back home. The city alone is full of people and cars trying to get to places and away from places. Sometimes I miss the quiet; thinking about things other than the day to day crap is refreshing." Tyler tilted his head and studied the young brunette before him, wondering just what role this girl would have in his life. It was obvious, even to him, that she had a crush on him and while it was endearing, Tyler didn't know what she expected from him. Even if she was only two years younger than him – probably less actually – he just couldn't imagine looking at the girl and seeing more than he already did.

As if reading his thoughts, Vesper shot Tyler a sad little smile and curled up on the chair, closing her eyes. Realising that she was taking away the necessity for perhaps awkward conversation, Tyler smiled and went back to his book.

About an hour later, with the sun firmly in the sky and the birds singing, the smell of toast and freshly brewed coffee drifting in from the kitchen, Tyler once again realised that he was being watched. He knew that it wasn't Vesper because she had fallen fast asleep, so he looked up to see who else had discovered his hiding place.

"Morning." Tyler was pleased to see Daniela standing in the doorway to the reading room, a mischievous smirk pulling on her lips. Unlike Vesper, she made no attempt to hide herself away: she boldly strode into the room and sat herself down next to Tyler, plucking his book out of his hands.

"Very demanding," Tyler noted, an eyebrow raised as Daniela moved into his personal space. She grinned and flipped her hair back, shooting Vesper a curious look that went unseen.

"Is it just you boys who rock houses like this, or is it an Ipswich thing?" Daniela asked, her voice low. Tyler smiled, turning in his seat so he could comfortably look her in the eye.

"Just us: we're special." Daniela chucked and ran her fingers through her dark hair. Tyler watched her, unable to deny the sensuality of the simple movement. He thought she was beautiful; there were no two ways about it. She was like dark chocolate or whiskey, rich, seductive and indulgent – and if you had too much, bad things might happen.

"So, this is your secret place, hmm? Reading is your guilty pleasure?" she teased, leaning into him with a muted laugh. Tyler imagined that if one could see a laugh, Daniela's would be a shooting star across the late afternoon sky.

"Not a guilty pleasure," Tyler replied, his eyes shining. "I can think of much better pleasure than reading." Daniela bit her lip and snickered into her hand, her long hair brushing over her sharp cheek bones. When her laughter became too much, Tyler grabbed her hand and led her out of the room so that they could continue their flirtatious banter over some breakfast in the kitchen.

When the door to the reading room closed, Vesper opened her eyes and sat up. After a moment, she covered her face with her hands and began to cry. No matter how hard she tried, she would always be second best. Even when it came to love, Daniela won every time.

* * *

Blue eyes were on her and she stretched like a cat beneath his gaze. Her sleep had been short but she felt more rested than she had in a long time, the tension in her shoulders all but gone. With her feet tangled in the blankets, Ryanne opened her eyes to see Reid looking away from her and down to Addyson, who had spent the night in Pogue's old crib which had been dug out from the attic.

"She looks just like you. She's got your eyes, though your hair is darker," he murmured, very aware that she was awake. Ryanne nodded and sat up in the bed, carefully watching as Reid leant down to run his fingers though her daughter's hair.

"It's funny how things like that change. The last time I saw her, she was light blonde and blue-eyed." Reid didn't say anything, just stared down at the content little girl. "Reid. Come here." Reid never took well to demands but he turned without a word and sat next to Ryanne on the bed. She smiled and stroked down his arm, an almost absent-minded gesture. When Ryanne realised what she was doing, she pulled her hand away – but Reid caught it and held on fast.

Carefully, ever so carefully, he raised his hand to her neck and ran his thumb across her jaw line. Ryanne shivered, staring at Reid with wide eyes. His face was paler than usual, his expression unfathomable, his eyes like whirlpools. Ryanne didn't know what was happening but when he leant towards her, she didn't move away.

He was so close. She was earth and flame; he was ice and sky. He was the drug; she was the addiction, and in the dead of night they had gotten lost in each other. This was the stuff of dreams and storybooks and diaries that were kept hidden under mattresses. This was danger and threat and magic and unspeakable truth. This was more than themselves: this was everything Reid had taught himself to fear.

He couldn't do it. This was too much. Unable to look back at Ryanne for even a second, Reid scrambled off the bed and ran from the room with little grace. As soon as he reached the landing, he drew forth his Power and within seconds he had vanished.

Ryanne stared at her door with her mouth agape. Her heart was racing and she felt lightheaded – and cheated. She brought her fingers to her lips and threw herself backwards on the bed with a huff, wondering what the _fuck_ just happened.


	25. Better The Desire You Know

_2012: rewrite_

_This chapter has some minor differences to the original. If you're familiar with the old version, then you will notice the complete change of direction at the end there. I definitely prefer this version, I hope you do too._

_Also, if you read this chapter then continue on to the next one (which hasn't been rewritten yet), then it won't make much sense because of some things that I've changed! Sorry._

_Enjoy, and much love!_

* * *

**25**

**Better the Desire You Know**

* * *

Pogue groaned in exasperation as Ryanne grinned at him over the breakfast counter. They had been arguing back and forth for the past twenty minutes about whether or not Ryanne should go to Spencer Academy. The redhead was entirely against the idea, having never been to school before in her life, and so the thought of going to a very prestigious private school made her blanch. Her complete stubbornness on the matter was making it very hard for Pogue to stand his ground, causing him to dramatically drop his head down onto the counter, narrowly avoiding his glass of water.

It was late afternoon, the rest of the day having gone by lazily. Pogue and Caleb had turned up with their significant others around midday and the girls had enjoyed making lunch for everyone. Sarah and Kate had been excited about meeting Vesper and Daniela, as they were disappointed they hadn't had the opportunity to accompany the Sons and Ryanne to London. They made a mess in the kitchen but everyone had seemed to enjoy the pasta they made, so it was worth it.

Well, not everyone. Reid still hadn't turned up by lunch time and Ryanne was starting to get worried. She asked the boys if they knew where he was but Caleb and Pogue just shrugged, not seeming at all bothered about their friend's disappearance. Tyler had been the only one to notice her concern and had laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he told her that Reid was fine. Deciding that maybe she was getting worked up over nothing, Ryanne focused her energy on getting to know the others, laughing along to Sarah's rather witty jokes and listening intently to Kate's interesting stories.

Then Pogue had brought up the issue of school and Ryanne had been thoroughly distracted from any thoughts about a certain blonde. The others had invariably gotten involved with the heated conversation, each putting their own opinions into the mix. Caleb, of course, was an avid supporter that Ryanne get her education though he did suggest that if she wasn't comfortable with going to Spencer Academy, that she go to another school of her choice: an idea that Ryanne was completely against.

When Pogue admitted temporary defeat, Ryanne laughed and excused herself from the kitchen. Daniela and Sarah were looking after Addyson for the afternoon, and the little girl was more than content with the attention and so Ryanne was free to come and go as she pleased. She darted upstairs to go to the toilet then grab her jumper from her bedroom. When she turned around to go back downstairs, there was Reid.

"Jesus!" she cursed, jumping backwards out of instinct. Reid laughed but it wasn't cruel. He looked exhausted but his eyes were clear and bright. "Where have you been?" she demanded of him, suddenly furious with his vanishing act.

"Thinking."

"Thinking," she repeated, unimpressed with his explanation. Reid shrugged, smiling ever so slightly as he watched Ryanne huff and cross her arms. "You worried me. You just ran off." He dipped his head but kept his smile, peering up at Ryanne from under his eyelashes.

"Sorry," he murmured, sliding forward so that he was in her bedroom, the pair of them almost touching. He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, watching as the late sun that shone through the window caught the different colours in her hair, rippling flame that spun across his palm. Ryanne leant in to Reid almost unconsciously, gazing up at him with sharp eyes that didn't miss a thing. Very slowly, Reid moved his hand to cup Ryanne's head, pulling her towards him so that he could feel her warm breath against his lips.

"Sorry for what?" Ryanne whispered, now fully leaning against Reid's chest, her hair tangled in his tight grip.

"For running away from you." He ducked his head down so that their noses brushed, and Ryanne was taken aback by the intimacy of the gesture. She didn't know where this out of character behaviour had come from but she couldn't deny that she loved every second of it. She hadn't realised before but now she felt like there was nowhere better to be than in his arms. But then -

"Ryanne!" Reid pushed her away as if she had burnt him. The clarity in his eyes was now hazed, the blue dark and rocky. Ryanne stumbled, barely managing to steady herself on the bed frame as she stared up at Reid in total confusion.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked him, but Reid just stared at her in something akin to horror. He shook his head as if trying to dislodge his thoughts and took a step backwards out of her room. Ryanne raised her hand as if to catch him.

"Don't! Don't run away from me again!" she begged of him but she went unheeded and Reid turned on his heel and bolted.

Ryanne couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that twice in one day Reid had almost kissed her then ran away. She couldn't believe that she had let herself get wrapped up in his charm and blue eyes and hidden vulnerability, only for him to run away with his tail between his legs like a big coward.

"Ryanne!" came the call again and Ryanne composed herself well enough to walk out of her bedroom and lean over the banister to see Pogue waiting for her.

"We're going to Nicky's – and you're coming with," he said in a tone of finality. Ryanne raised her eyebrow, determined to ignore whatever the fuck was going on between her and Reid.

"Nicky's?"

"Yeah, it's a bar down the road. We go there to blow off some steam. Go get ready."

"And what exactly am I meant to wear to Nicky's?" Pogue shrugged and looked to his left where Ryanne presumed the girls were. "They'll help you out, won't you?" Sarah and Kate suddenly came into view as they began to rush up the stairs, evidently excited.

"Yeah, we'll help you!" Kate enthused as they reached the landing. "We brought some clothes with us, there must be something there for you to borrow – oh, hey, Reid. When did you get here? Nevermind, not important, we've got to get ready!" Kate snatched up Ryanne's hand and she was pulled along past Reid who watched her with dark eyes. She hadn't realised he was still there, and she avoided his gaze despite feeling it burrow into her skin. It hadn't gone over her head that Kate had easily dismissed Reid's presence, obviously not caring enough about him to wonder why he had suddenly disappeared or why he was outside Ryanne's bedroom of all places. This made her think back to the night before when Reid had aggressively admitted the truth of how the others felt about him – she looked to him then, suddenly needing him to know that she cared, even if no one else did.

She almost drowned in his eyes.

* * *

It turned out that getting ready to go to a bar was actually quite fun. Sarah grabbed a few bottles of wine, Kate put some music on, and the five girls laughed their way around Ryanne's room with a bundle of clothes thrown onto the bed. Vesper had taken babysitting duty because she had declined the invitation to the bar: she knew that the invite had been out of politeness and not want because she was too young to go to a bar, even one that served to minors. She told everyone that she was fine with being left out even though she wasn't, but decided that curling up on the sofa and watching a movie was a lot better than watching people get drunk.

The rest of the girls managed to pull everything together just in time for their group-decided deadline. They were all dressed and pleased with their appearance, last minute makeup checks taking up most of the mirror. Sarah handed out the purses and they all rushed downstairs, chattering loudly as they went. Ryanne felt more confident than she would have done normally though she was fully aware that the wine might have had something to do with that. The very gentle buzz behind her eyes had soothed her nerves and she was ready to go.

"I'll look after Addyson, don't worry," Wayne assured her when the girls reached the ground floor. The chirpy child was in his arms, pulling at his long hair and giggling. Ryanne smiled and gave both her daughter and her father a kiss on the cheek, all of a sudden very happy with her circumstances – which, of course, had some alcoholic influence.

"Thank you so much," she said to Wayne who just smiled at her, hoisting the baby up in his arms.

"Go have fun, all of you." With a wave, the group left the house and quickly piled into the two cars in the driveway. Ryanne went with Daniela, Reid and Sarah in Tyler's Hummer, while Kate and Pogue went with Caleb in his convertible. Reid and Ryanne kept catching each other's eye, but nothing came of it.

They got there in no time and together they all walked into the bar, Sarah linking arms with Ryanne as they went. Already they could hear the haze of talk and laughter from inside the bar, music blaring through the windows and disturbing the night air. Pogue held the door open for everyone and Kate led them over to the biggest table in the place.

Tyler and Reid immediately left to go play pool, leaving the others to descend into comfortable conversation, the locals retelling some history about the area. Pogue went to get them some fries and burgers to share, nodding at Nicky as he passed him the beer bottles. Ryanne let herself become submerged in the easy chatter, glad to be rid of the shockwave of emotion that shook her every time she let her mind wander to Reid.

After a while Daniela disappeared off, presumably to go find Tyler and flirt with him some more. A few boys came over to the table to talk to Caleb and Pogue, and Sarah and Kate quickly got bored with sitting at the table. They invited Ryanne up to dance and she shrugged her shoulders and said yes, not seeing a reason to say no. She enjoyed letting her troubles hide away between the heavy bass of the music, dipping and swinging her hips to some song she only kind of knew. Sarah and Kate laughed in her ear, throwing their hair over their shoulders as they moved with the crowd, having to shout at each other to be heard.

From across the bar, Reid watched her dance. He was leaning against one of the pillars by the pool table, a beer bottle dangling loosely in his fingers and his beanie hat pulled low. As Ryanne was standing in the centre of the floor, Sarah and Kate beside her, Reid had to keep tilting his head to see her properly, her lithe figure swallowed up by the mass of people on the dance floor. The music echoed and rolled off the walls, but he felt like he was in a cage, empty and separate from all those around him. He knew that Aaron and his lackeys were nearby, probably shooting off their mouth just as they always did but he couldn't care less.

With her sunset red hair and the passion that he could almost taste in the air, Ryanne was like a flame in the sand and all else became dull in her presence - and beneath that fire was the earth. He felt his centre align with her movements, rooted in place to whatever land or continent resided within those green eyes. A calm rested over his thoughts, his lungs and his heart, a calm that couldn't be tainted by music or petty taunts.

Yet, he felt conflict. His past and his present self were at war, locked in some battle for dominance. This, all of this, was beyond him. Above him. More than him. This was new to him and new meant change and change meant fear. It meant losing control and losing image and losing sight of what was going to happen next. It meant vulnerability and judgement and the risk of failure. Reid hated change because it was so thin that it ran through his fingers like silk, and he was powerless to stop it.

Just as he was powerless to change how he felt about Ryanne. He didn't know how or when it happened, but suddenly he had a second pulse that beat just for her. He was addicted to her heat; he dreamt of flames and rivers of ice that melted along the beaches of a beautiful land, the night sky peering down from above. When he was with her, he became the person he would have been if he had never been given his Power. He wasn't a Son of Ipswich with her: he was just Reid... and yet, he was more than he had ever been before. She was his freedom and he was loathe to be locked up again.

But what could he do? He had been given his chances, taken them by force, and had been so close to having her in his arms. He wanted to protect her flame, keep her burning bright no matter how cold it became: he would take the ice, he would take all of it if it meant that she could keep her fire. With her at his side he might melt, but that was okay because without her he would crack and shatter, and never would he be able to find all of his pieces again.

Contrary to popular belief, Reid wasn't incapable of love. He had the heart and the emotion for it, even the desire. He just never thought that anyone could love him. He wasn't built to be loved or cared for, or so he had been told on multiple occasions. His flaws were too many, his defences too thick. He was too cold and sharp, too chaotic and bitter. There was a river inside of him that was too intent on reaching the rocks, refusing to stop for anyone. There was no one on this Earth who had the strength and courage to stand in his way and bring a halt to his running, his neverending current. He would never be drained dry.

But maybe, just maybe, it wasn't about stopping the river. Maybe all he needed was a change of direction... and maybe there was one person, just one, who had the strength to melt his ice banks and bring his meandering soul back to calmer waters.


	26. Every Risk Has A Silver Lining

2012: rewrite

Shorter chapter, I'm afraid! It's mostly Ryanne + Reid relationship development though, so hopefully that makes up for it. There is a significant detail change in this one, if you're familiar with the original version then you'll no doubt notice it. Like I've said before, characterisation is one of the biggest aspects of this rewrite that I'm focused on improving, and this therefore affects R+R's relationship quite significantly - hopefully for the better.

Please let me know what you think and feel free to point out any mistakes.

Much love, and enjoy!

* * *

**26**

**Every Risk Has A Silver Lining**

* * *

Panting hard, Ryanne collapsed into her chair wearing a wide grin. Sarah and Kate had drifted off to the bar to get some more drinks and so Ryanne was alone at their table, smiling to herself as she observed all the others who were still up dancing. She noticed that she was getting a few glances, most probably from those who frequently came to Nicky's, so she did her best to smile back at them.

All things considering, Ryanne knew that she had lucked out by being sent to Ipswich to live with Pogue and his family. It had stirred up a lot of trouble but somehow it seemed to have been the right choice to make. Ryanne could just about see Pogue sat with Caleb and some other friends in the corner of the bar, and he looked reasonably happy. She knew that things were going to be difficult and they still had a lot to work through, but she couldn't deny that she had hope for the future, whatever it may bring.

"What's a pretty young thing like you doin' all alone in a place like this?" Ryanne cringed, jogged from her thoughts, and she turned around to see the newcomer. No, this wasn't what she'd had in mind when she'd been thinking about the future.

"I'm not alone," she said back, keeping her voice neutral. She didn't know who this person was but he had a small gang behind him and a mean look in his eye. He was probably harmless but learned reflex had her wary.

"Hate to break it to you, sugar, but it looks like you are." Ryanne raised an eyebrow.

"If that's the extent of your logical deduction skills, then I suggest you get in contact with your nearest school." Okay, that was hypocritical but he didn't know that she had never even stepped inside of a school before. At the look on the boy's face, Ryanne sighed deeply and explained her insult for him.

"Just because I'm sat here by myself," she pointed to her seat, her tone slow and patronising as if talking to a child, "doesn't mean that I came here alone," she gestured to the entire bar. "I'm just waiting for them to come back."

"Why don't you come back with me, and then maybe we can come back together?" Ryanne stared at the stranger with a blank expression.

"That doesn't even make sense," she said dryly, and he blushed a little as he thought over his own words. As if to try and smooth over his mistake, he hurried on to his next line.

"I can rock your world, sugar, I'll have you screaming all night."

"Oh, I don't doubt it." He didn't seem to sense her sarcasm and continued on. Ryanne sighed again, wondering when he would get bored and go away.

"I'm Aaron, by the way," he introduced as he took a step forward and leant down towards her, placing his hands on the table either side of her so that she had pull back as to not have his breath on her face. "I'm the best thing you will ever get, sugar." Aaron reached up with one hand as if to stroke her face and it was then that Ryanne spotted Reid coming towards her with a stony expression. Improvising, she pushed Aaron back and gestured towards Reid.

"See, my boyfriend's back. Told you I wasn't alone." Aaron frowned and whipped round to see who this 'boyfriend' was, and his eyes widened when he saw Reid. The blonde in question heard what Ryanne said and almost stumbled at what she called him, but he managed to brush it aside and play along.

"You alright, babe? This prick bothering you?" he drawled, moving to stand beside Ryanne just as she stood up from her seat. Aaron swallowed and stepped back, not impressed at the turn of events.

"Garwin? This is your boyfriend? You've got to be shittin' me. Garwin doesn't do girlfriends. He'll do girls, but not girlfriends." Ryanne wanted to look at Reid to see his reaction but knew that would only ruin her ruse, so instead she just plastered a sickly sweet smile on her face and shrugged.

"Maybe I'm just that special." Aaron scoffed but didn't look away from Reid, as if determined to find any fault in his expression. Reid just shot him a lazy grin and spun Ryanne into his arms, one hand pressing against the small of her back while the other cupped her cheek, thumb gently stroking her soft skin. Not allowing her the chance to pull away, nor himself the opportunity to rethink what he was about to do, Reid pressed his lips down onto Ryanne's and pulled her body into his.

There was a short second where Ryanne did nothing, completely taken aback yet again by Reid's unexpected behaviour; but then the reality of what was happening kicked in and she realised that she was being kissed by the very person that she dreamt about at night. No matter how false the kiss was, she wanted to make sure that it felt real and so she began to kiss back, her hands creeping up to tangle in his hair. Reid, happy that she wasn't fighting him, ran his tongue along her bottom lip, tilting his head so that he could pull her closer. Ryanne almost sank into him, forgetting everything but the taste of him on her tongue.

Too soon, Reid pulled away and turned back to Aaron, making sure to keep Ryanne under his arm. Aaron was watching them with a disgruntled expression, annoyed at having Reid show him up again. With some mumbled insult thrown over his shoulder, Aaron stalked back over to his friends and they shuffled away. Keeping in character, Reid pulled out Ryanne's chair and waited until she was seated before sitting down himself.

"What was that?" Ryanne breathed, still not over the shock of what just happened. Reid looked down for a moment before meeting her gaze, offering her a slight shrug.

"You started it by calling me your boyfriend. I was just playing along."

"Of course," she muttered, grabbing the nearest bottle and taking a deep gulp of warm beer. She made a face but finished the drink to keep away her nerves. Reid watched her frantic drinking with a curious expression, wondering what to make of her - and more importantly, wondering what to do next.

"I'm sorry for running away," he finally said, studying her carefully. Ryanne's eyes danced to him and back again like a flickering candle, unsure and nervous.

"Yeah, well, you've said that before."

"I know and I'm sorry. I panicked," he admitted, slightly uncomfortable that he was doing so. Ryanne seemed to take this in, obviously having not expected him to say such a thing. "I want to tell you that I don't know what's happening between us, but that's a lie. I think it's quite clear what's going on." Ryanne blushed despite herself and looked down. He lowered his head to catch her gaze again. "I can't get you out of my head, Valentine. I don't know what the fuck you've done but somehow you've got into my head and I can't get you back out - I'm not sure I want to." There was a long pause as Ryanne conjured the courage to speak, her voice but a whisper beneath the loud music and talk all around them.

"Why are you saying all of this? Now? You run away whenever you think someone is going to catch us being close." Reid swallowed and pulled his beanie off his head, throwing it on the table. His fingers itched to clasp a cool beer, but he couldn't exactly get up and walk away now.

"I ran away because I'm scared. Do you think that I've done this before? No. I don't do this - there's never been anyone else that I've felt so strongly about before. I'm drawn to you, Ryanne, and no matter how many times I run away, I'll always run right back to you." He had to laugh at himself, shaking his head at the ludicrous imagery he was painting in the air, but it was true. He had learnt that enough times already.

"What are you telling me, Reid?" Ryanne asked, almost demanded. She couldn't afford to misunderstand him now, her heart wouldn't be able to cope. Reid sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, casting a wary look around him. The others were all occupied, Caleb and Pogue not even realising that Ryanne and Reid were talking, while Tyler was so enraptured by Daniela that he had barely noticed that Reid had left the pool table.

"I'm telling you that no matter what everyone else has told me, what I was raised to believe, I am able to love. I don't know whether I love you: I've never been in love before, but I'm willing to find out. You're the exception, Ryanne. Somehow, you're the one that has changed everything."

The entire bar went silent. Everyone else was ripped away. There was nothing and nobody, but them. Only them.


	27. Give The Witch His Due

_2012: rewrite_

_Maybe there are people out there who prefer the original version of Reid and Ryanne's interaction/relationship. I'm sure there are quite a few secret Mary Sue-lovers who enjoyed the sudden speediness of R+R's love affair, but when I read the old chapter over, I think I died a few times inside._

_Anyway, here's the new version. Hope you enjoy it; feel free to let me know about any mistakes. I think this version is a tad shorter but it was getting to the point where it felt like if I wrote anymore, it would just be dragging on._

_Please let me know what you think. Much love._

* * *

**27**

**Give the Witch His Due**

* * *

When years had passed, Ryanne would look back on this moment and know it for what it was; but in the present time, all she could do was sit and stare. Reid's words spun around her skull like spring flowers caught in a breeze and yet she could not process them, afraid to reach out and grab them in case her fingers just went straight through, like a mere mirage in the sticky heat of Nicky's.

Reid fidgeted as he waited for Ryanne's response, his alcohol-fuelled courage quickly burning away. His eyes darted back and forth between her garden-green orbs, trying to read the maelstrom of emotion that lurked within them. When he saw her confusion and disbelief, he leant forward with unrestrained urgency.

"You don't believe me," he murmured, his voice cool and scratchy. Ryanne swallowed and leant back from him, suddenly feeling trapped. Reid saw this and forced himself to lean back, his fingers trembling from alcohol and unbidden desperation. He couldn't scare her away: if she left now, granting him only rejection after he finally, timidly, took down his defences, then he doubted he would ever be willing to show such vulnerability again.

"I just don't know where this has come from," Ryanne admitted after a while, giving a great sigh. "You hated me barely over a week ago! How could you love me already?" Reid rolled his shoulders, trying to ease away the tension building there. He thought carefully about his next words, trying to be as honest as possible.

"Ryanne… I never hated you. Isn't it obvious? Okay, before we met you and knew you, we _all _hated you." At her hurt expression, he hurried to explain even though he knew she already understood why. "We didn't think about you as a person or why you suddenly needed paternal custody, or what any of this meant for you. We only thought about Pogue – we thought that we were protecting our own… but you're one of us now. No matter what happens, you're Pogue's sister."

He took a breath and relaxed his stance, leaning heavily on the table. Ryanne was hooked on every word, listening to him as if her very life depended on it. All around them the world spun on, people dancing and drinking; they couldn't have been more alone.

"There was that moment when you weren't the enemy anymore, and it was unsettling. Who could I – we – blame, if not you? Wayne? Never, he's a father to all of us. It was no longer black and white, and I've never been good at dealing with grey. I needed something to blame and that conflict was what pissed me off. That's why I was so angry back in London because you… you were not what I wanted you to be. I wanted to hate you – I wanted _someone _to hate. It was almost as if… as if… as if I wanted someone to hate so that I wouldn't have to … hate myself."

Reid's voice was barely a whisper, almost swept away by the heavy bass and guitar riffs, tangled around the clinks of sweaty beer glasses – but Ryanne caught it just in time. There was a twinge behind her ribs and suddenly she believed him. Her hands shot out and gripped his, pulling herself closer to him. She knew that it was probably the extra bottle of wine that Sarah had bought that was making her feel a bit weepy, but her desire to take away that sadness that was intrinsic to Reid's voice was overwhelming.

"I'm sorry I wasn't that person," she found herself telling him, not quite sure what she was apologising for. Reid laughed, a sad sound, and rested his forehead on hers, his hand coming up to stroke her cheek once.

"Don't be stupid," he told her. "I realise how pathetic I am. I never hated you, Ryanne, because how could I? I realised that you were different when we fought on that balcony. You were so angry, so impassioned… I remember thinking how beautiful you looked." He laughed at his confession, awkward and nervous. He didn't see, but Ryanne grinned wide, flattered beyond belief that the most handsome boy she had ever seen thought that _she _was beautiful. "Then when you backed down, I couldn't believe it. No one _ever_ backed down."

When he looked up to judge her expression, he was surprised to see how _happy_ she looked. The fear and confusion he had seen before was entirely gone; this reassured him enough to continue.

"That night I couldn't stop thinking about you and what you'd said. I didn't want to be that person anymore, the one who hates himself and everyone around him. I've been that person all my life and I just can't do it anymore – and there you were the next morning, and I just wanted… I don't know what I wanted. I just wanted you."

"You can have me," Ryanne whispered then, interrupting his speech. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you, I didn't know any of this. I only ever thought about this from my perspective, not yours, and I'm so sorry. Please – please don't hate yourself! You're so perfect to me, Reid, can't you see that? You've done more to help me than any of the others! You don't make me do anything, you just sit with me, and sometimes that's all you need, right? To just sit and not say anything. To just _be. _I can do that with you, Reid. I don't know when this happened or why, but out of nowhere, you're all I can think about. When you ran away from me earlier… I can't explain to you how bad it felt." Reid went to apologise but Ryanne pressed her finger against his lips, silencing him. "I need you, Reid. Somehow, I need you."

"I don't know how to do this," Reid murmured, looking away. Ryanne laughed, feeling very light-headed, and ran her thumb over his scarred knuckles.

"We'll learn together."

* * *

She moved like a spirit trapped in the wind, flowing and fluent as she weaved between the dancers, exquisite and untouchable. He couldn't take his eyes off her, not that he wanted to. He wanted to be pulled into her rapture, to drown in her seduction.

She was the whisper of forgotten desires lost in the dust and heartache of an unlived life; dark honey that dripped into the bitter, cold remnants of his understated heart; ropes of silk that entangled in his ribs and made it hard for him to breathe. She was poetry that was hissed between ruby red lips, crushed diamonds caught in the hand of a passionate nightmare. She was too much and yet he had never had enough.

Even as he watched her now, he was deadly curious. He wanted _more _but would she let him? He had seen the teasing glint in her dark eyes, the midnight wink she had sent his way: she knew exactly what she was doing.

But then, where did she see it going? If she saw it going anywhere at all. Did _he _want it to go somewhere? He couldn't stop thinking about her, fantasising about the curve of her legs and her plump lips. She smelt of nighttime rain and cigars and tealight candles that floated on the surface of her whiskey eyes. He wanted her to grab him by the lapels and have her way with him; unleash some of that bittersweet, cyanide-laced passion that was coiled tight around her long, olive fingers.

Daniela was lust incarnate - and with one look into those eyes, Tyler was hooked.

* * *

Unable to stand the pressure of the bar, Reid grasped Ryanne's hand in his and led her outside. They disappeared like smoke lost in the pulse of the music, hidden amongst the shadows that lurked underneath the dead cars in the car park. Reid guided the redhead to one of the benches next to the street lamp, keeping her hand in his as they sat. It was freezing outside but Ryanne had enough warmth to heat even his iced veins.

"What now?" The words burst from Ryanne's lips as if she had been desperate to ask them and Reid flinched from the implications of the question. When he didn't answer, she went further to ask, "are we in a relationship? Like a proper relationship? I'm telling you now, I am not having one of those 'fuck buddy' things, no way. Not when I've got a kid to look after." Reid sighed and let go of her hand. After a moment, Ryanne shook her head, her voice softer when she spoke.

"I'm sorry, that's not fair. I know the way that came out, and I'm not expecting you to have any sort of involvement with Addyson or anything. I just don't think I can handle that kind of sex-only relationship when I can barely look after a child, y'know?" Reid nodded and looked up, trying to think everything through.

"I told you that I don't know how to do this, and that includes our future. All I know for certain is that I _like _you, that I can't stop thinking about you, and the idea of someone else having you pisses me the fuck off." Ryanne chuckled and Reid smiled at the sound. "I just want _you. _What that means, I'm not sure."

Ryanne shrugged, realising that she couldn't push it, especially when she wasn't even sure what she wanted. There was a part of her that was screaming _relationship!, _but the rest of her knew that they were walking on eggshells, worried and wary about what would happen. Neither of them were good with relationships or being a couple – Reid never went far enough and Ryanne had a history of going _too _far – so they had to take it as it went. Push it too far now, and they would ruin it for good.

"We like each other," Ryanne murmured, picking up Reid's hand and fiddling with his pale fingers, "and that's enough for now." Reid smiled and decided that if he was going to fall in love, then he would want it to be with her.


	28. A Word To The Wise Is Unheeded

_2012: rewrite_

_This is probably one of the chapters that follows the original the most. It's just as short and the same things happen. I suppose it's a bit of a filler chapter but the end is quite fairly significant._

_Enjoy, much love._

* * *

**28**

**A Word to the Wise is Unheeded**

* * *

It was quite embarrassing how long it took Daniela to realise that her friend was no longer in the bar. As someone who prided herself on her observational skills, she hadn't really made herself proud; she had been too busy watching and dancing for Tyler, enjoying the look in his eye as he stared. When she did notice Ryanne's absence, she immediately flew into _street _mode, demanding that the Sons help her search.

"Calm down," Caleb said dismissively, waving a hand to brush aside Daniela's sudden panic. "She's probably with Reid; he's not here either." He sounded so uncaring that Daniela slammed her hands down onto the table he was sat at with Pogue, and snarled into his face.

"If you're going to insist on being a fuckin' leader, then you can damn well act like one." Caleb had the good grace to look taken aback while Pogue couldn't help but raise an impressed eyebrow as he took a lazy slurp of his beer. Daniela turned her vicious glare onto him, her anger exaggerated by the alcohol in her system, and pinned the boy in place.

"_And you. _You're her damn brother! What if she was hurt? You don't even give a fuck!" Before Pogue could react, Tyler quickly stepped in to act as the mediator, just as he always did. He put a calming hand on Daniela's shoulder, his soothing nature immediately calming her down and she let out a great huff, throwing her wavy hair over her shoulder.

"Daniela, let's go check outside. I'm sure she's fine – she's probably with Reid." Daniela sighed but gave in, realising that she was being way over the top. Just as she went to turn and follow Tyler outside, Caleb sat up and pointed a wavering finger in her direction. His eyes were slightly glassy, pupils wide in the shadows of the bar.

"She better _not_ be out there with Reid," he warned, sounding more serious than he perhaps needed to be. "She needs to stay the fuck away from him." Daniela whirled back, eyes narrowed as she automatically took offense at Caleb's tone and words.

"I don't think that's your call to make," she spat, tempted to smack him in the jaw. She always did get aggressive when she'd been drinking. "If Reid and Ryanne want to be together, they can be together! Hell, they can elope and have a dozen children, and it would _never_ be any of your business!" Caleb went from shock to downright pissed off, so Tyler once again jumped in the middle and began to push Daniela towards the door.

"What is with you?" he exclaimed, both amused and irritated with her attitude. She shrugged off his grip and strode purposefully out of the bar door.

"He's such a dick; I don't know how you stand him."

"He's like my brother… so, mostly out of necessity," he conceded and Daniela giggled, the cool air and Tyler's easy demeanour soothing her ire like a gentle oasis. As they walked through the car park, she glanced over at the brunette, appreciating the view: he was tall and handsome, not really muscular but he held himself well. Letting the alcohol guide her, she quickly reached out and gripped Tyler's hand; she waited for him to pull away but he just gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, look," Tyler called, pointing ahead. Daniela squinted through the darkness to see two figures sat close together on a bench, the quiet murmur of talk drifting through the settled air. Daniela pulled her hand from Tyler's and jogged over to the pair, glad to see that it was Ryanne and Reid, just as she'd hoped.

"There you two are," she said, startling them out of their own little reverie. Ryanne grinned up at her friend while Reid leant back, shooting his best friend a lazy smirk. Tyler was surprised to see the easy calm in the blonde's eye and immediately suspected that something had transpired here in the darkness, away from prying eyes.

"Sorry, it was too loud in there," Ryanne apologised as she stood up, brushing herself down. Daniela shrugged and linked arms with her, feeling a lot lighter now that she was out in the cool night air.

"It's getting late," Reid said, glancing up at the starry sky. "Why don't we get going?" Tyler shrugged then nodded, tugging his keys out of his pocket. Somehow the night had come and gone, the crowded bar and Daniela's dancing hips draining the hours from the evening.

"Let me go get the others," he said and he jogged back into the bar to fetch Pogue and Caleb. The amount of time it took suggested that the pair were reluctant to go home and Daniela told Reid and Ryanne about how drunk they had been in the bar.

"That means Caleb is holding back a tantrum," Reid said, his voice heavy. "He only ever gets drunk with Pogue and not us if he wants to bitch but is holding back."

Finally Tyler appeared with the two eldest Sons in tow, stumbling slightly as they made their way towards the two cars. Sarah decided to go with in Caleb's car this time round, so it was just Reid, Tyler, Daniela and Ryanne in the Hummer. Reid put the music on obnoxiously loud, and they spent the journey shouting at each other and laughing, overly exuberant at such a late hour.

Wayne was asleep by the time they got home, passed out on the sofa with Addyson slumbering in his arms. It was such an adorable sight that Ryanne made Reid take a photo of it with his phone, and then they all crept upstairs, giggling and whispering under their breaths. Pogue and Caleb took their time getting home, having dropped off Kate and Sarah first. Ryanne wondered whether they should have stopped them from driving home – she couldn't remember who even took the wheel – but Tyler and Reid seemed so unbothered that she shrugged it off.

Vesper had fallen asleep on Ryanne's bed and Daniela quickly curled up next to her, dead to the world within seconds. Ryanne laughed and said goodnight to the two boys who once more decided to stay over at the Parry's. The redhead stripped down to her underwear, too tipsy to even bother about pyjamas, and carefully climbed up next to her friends. They had barely left her any room on the double bed and it wasn't long before her back started to ache.

She sat up with a sigh, knowing that she wouldn't able to wake the two girls even if she screamed her head off. Daniela was snoring and Vesper was drooling, her dark hair knotted around her hand as she mumbled to herself in her sleep.

"Fuckin' bitches," Ryanne sighed as she got up from the bed. She wandered down to the kitchen to get some water and peruse through the vitamin cupboard to sneak some Bs in an attempt to ward off the hangover that would no doubt plague her tomorrow. She peeked into the living room to check on Wayne and her baby: they were both fast asleep, Addyson's little chubby fists curled up against Wayne's shirt. With a smile, she closed the door and went back upstairs, humming a tuneless song to herself.

When she got to her bedroom, she remembered her space problem. Where else could she go? She thought about going back into the living room to camp out on a sofa, but then she caught sight of Reid's bedroom door.

Without thinking, she went in – and came to an abrupt halt when she saw that Reid was sat up in his bed, staring out of the window. He turned when she came in and smiled as if he had been expecting her. Ryanne went to say something but found there were no words to say. The night had stolen away her voice and she couldn't bear to disturb the silence. So, instead of speaking, she just climbed into his bed next to him. It wasn't a double bed and so she had to press herself up against him to make sure she didn't fall off, and he slid his arm around her waist, keeping her anchored.

How effortless it was for the pair of them to sink into the bed, sliding up next to each other, mere ghosts lurking in the dark corners of each other. Ryanne pressed her face into his chest as she looped her leg over his, and Reid wrapped his arms around her, forming her sanctum against all else.

That was it. There was nothing more, just peace and rest. They were whole and they were content, locking themselves together in a silent resolution that they would no longer be alone. They would be more than they were and could only be so with each other. There was no tomorrow and there were all the tomorrows, time slipping underneath the bed for the moon to stretch out across the sky.

They didn't sleep together – but together, they slept.


	29. Lovers Shouldn't Be Seen, Nor Heard

Another quick update, since it's the weekend. Summer is fast approaching, which means really fast updates (:

**Niffer01; TaylorAlexandra; Evil Little Chaotic Angel; Mischieflover; anangelwithnoname; DJStroake; Xavia**

_**.**__Disclaimer__**.**_

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

* * *

**Chapter 29: Lovers Of A Feather Flock Together**

* * *

One second she was alone, and the next his face was right _there_.

Ryanne jumped, startled, slapping a hand to her chest in her fright. Pogue laughed, chuckling as he walked past her to peer into the crib where Addyson lay.

"How's my favourite little sister doing?" he asked the toddler, grinning as Ryanne feigned insult, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she pushed past her half-brother to fetch her brush.

Addyson giggled, and reached up, wrapping her thin fingers around Pogue's long hair and tugged. Pogue frowned, and tried to pull away, but the little girl refused to let go. He sighed and gave up, trying to turn his head towards Ryanne, but couldn't.

"Ryanne," he moaned. The girl in question turned, her eyebrows raised as she took in the slightly odd and amusing scene. Her lips twitched, trying to hold back her smile.

"A little help here?" he asked. Not being able to hold it back anymore, Ryanne burst out laughing, letting the brush thunk to the table, walking forwards to help out her brother.

"It's simple really," she said, tickling Addyson's arm. Instantly, the girl pulled back her hand, letting go of Pogue's hair, squealing in delight as Ryanne tickled her stomach. Pogue grinned, straightening up. He watched his two sisters for a moment, before taking Ryanne by the shoulder.

The redhead looked up in question as Pogue smiled down at her. Her expression was wary, and that hurt him a little, but knew that she just needed time. She was already settling in quite well, there was no need to push it. Ryanne would come around in her own time. He just hoped he would warm up to the Covenant soon.

Gently he pulled her into a loose hug, leaning his chin on her shoulder as she let her head fall, onto his chest, huffing a heavy sigh. He had noticed how stressed she'd been lately, and was glad to be the one that let her relax, even if it was for only a few brief seconds.

Carefully, as to not offend her embracer, Ryanne pulled away, making an effort to smile up at him, trying to paint her expression with comfort and warmth, rather than confusion and exhaustion. Luckily, Pogue accepted it, and without another word turned away from her, and walked towards the door, pausing momentarily at it, his hand on the frame, not looking back.

Ryanne waited for him to speak, to say something, but he remained silent, and after a few seconds, disappeared down the hall, unable to say whatever was on his mind.

The girl stared after him for a minute, wondering what he had been about to say, before busying herself with folding away Addyson's clothes.

She had been alone only for two minutes when there was a voice behind her, making her start.

"I saw you."

* * *

It was just an innocent walk past. He wasn't spying, wasn't checking up on him or anything; it wasn't like he didn't trust him. He just happened to pass right by the room where the blonde was staying. That was all.

Just an innocent walk past.

The door was open: that _definitely _had nothing to do with him. It had swung wide, revealing the interior of the large guest room that the second youngest of the group was currently occupying.

Curious as to why the door was open, he stuck his head into the room, gazing around slowly, his eyes coming to rest on the bed.

The large, _empty _bed.

He frowned, looking around to see if the en suite was occupied, but that door was also open, the light switched off.

So, where was he?

Caleb sighed, and turned out of the room, his eyes flickering left and right. Well, he definitely wasn't downstairs, for he had just come up that way.

Caleb walked down the hallway, the only other way left to go, listening out for voices, but he heard none. There was a still silence draped over the corridor, the soft groans of the wooden panelling the only thing disturbing the quiet.

Not the first room.

Nor the second.

Or the third.

That left only one room, which was odd, because that was where Ryanne was residing.

Caleb hadn't really talked to the new girl at all, which he tried to tell himself wasn't his fault – though he had made _no _effort in the slightest to try and talk to her. At first, he had been welcoming, taking charge of the situation, but as soon as Pogue had become leader of his current change of scene, Caleb had sat back, not needing to have any input.

He felt that he had no _need _to talk to Ryanne.

Well, at least that's what he told himself. But when he really thought about it, he could kind of figure out why he hadn't made much of an effort to interact with Pogue's half sister.

She was hiding something. Caleb could feel it; she was hiding something that was pretty big, or at least, something _she _thought was big.

Usually, he would question her secrecy, but now that she was a part of the family, he knew he had no right to do so. Despite the sense that is wasn't something small, there seemed to be no danger, no disloyalty, nothing that could cause any harm. Just something she would prefer to keep to herself.

_Their _problem on the other hand... now, that _could _harm someone. There _was _a danger in letting people know. Ergo, he was in no place to get her to open up since that would make him the world's biggest hypocrite.

And Caleb didn't like to be criticised.

He was at her room now; her door was also open, but not as much as Reid's had been. There was an inch or two of gap that he could slid his hand into, and grip the door.

After a moment of listening, he pushed open the door slowly, glad that it didn't creak.

What he saw made him gasp, and he stepped back.

That was _not _what he had been expecting, not in the slightest.

As he swallowed thickly, trying to work out what his reaction to this was, he wondered what this meant.

What it meant to them...

And what it would mean to the others.

* * *

"I don't know what you mean."

Ryanne's voice was cold, but pitched in a way to sound innocent, and sincere. The brunette frowned, walking into the bedroom to shut the door behind him.

The redhead stepped back, coming to stand beside the crib where Addyson was taking a nap, sucking her thumb in her sleep.

Despite the fact that she knew that Caleb would never hurt her, her instincts kicked in, and she put a protective hand over her child's body, her own tense and rigid.

"You know _exactly _what I mean, Ryanne," he replied calmly, his voice holding only a hint of warning.

"No, I don't, Caleb," she retorted slowly, dragging the sentence out as her mind thought of excuses and escapes.

"I don't know what you think this means, but you have to know the truth of the matter, Ryanne." He was ignoring the girl's act of denial, and went straight into the heart of the situation.

"You can't be with Reid." It was so matter of fact, so simple, that it took a couple of seconds to register in Ryanne's brain.

"_What?" _she hissed, taken aback by his sudden forward demeanour.

"Reid has had many infatuations, many girls that have come and gone. What do you think will happen when you two break up? It will ruin us all. The Covenant will be split down the middle between friends and family."

"The Cov... wait, break up?"

"I am telling you, Ryanne, that you can_not _be with Reid, no matter how you think you feel about him. I'm sure you two had _fun _last night, but it can't happen again, you understand?"

Ryanne shook her head in disbelief, feeling her temper rise. Who was he to tell her who she could and couldn't be with? He wasn't her brother, her father. He wasn't Wayne, or Pogue. He had _no _authority over her.

"Excuse me? Who you don't think you are? You can't tell me what I can and can't do!" she exclaimed. Caleb went to open his mouth, but Ryanne beat him to the punch, a rabid scowl savagely attacking her eyes.

"And what do you mean by 'had fun last night'? For your information, Reid and I didn't sleep together... well, not in _that _way anyway. We didn't even talk to each other. He came into my room, and we fell asleep. For the first time in a long while I slept throughout the night, without any nightmares, just because he was _there, _and you're telling me that he's just an infatuation?" Caleb swallowed back his answer, obviously underestimating the girl's temper.

"I'm so glad you think so low of me! That you think I'd just waltz in her and have sex with the first guy who looks at me!" She couldn't believe it - her eyes were starting to water as she took in Caleb's assumption of her. It made her feel dirty, embarrassed that he would think of her as such a slut. She knew everyone else felt that way, but her brother's best friend? It was just degrading.

"How do _you_ know what you feel for him, eh?" Caleb inquired coldly, his temper also rising at the naive girl's defensiveness. "How do _you _know what love is?"

"Oh, because obviously just some silly little girl from London, who got beaten up by her step-dad could never know what love is!"

They had both raised their voices, not realising they were falling down to the people below. Reid, who had been in his room, darted down the hall, pushing open the door; Pogue and Tyler raced up the stairs at the sound of shouting, rushing into Ryanne's room.

"You _are _just some silly little girl who's too caught up in stupid romance to even think about the consequences!"

"What's going on here?" Pogue asked warily, looking between his best friend and his sister, wondering - if it came down to it – whose side he would take.

Ryanne glanced at the newcomers, blushing as Sarah and Kate watched from behind the boys, Daniela and Vesper not far behind, and dodged their gazes, not replying to Caleb's comment.

The older boy turned, and pointed at Reid, too pissed off to really think about what he was saying. He was fed up of trying to do what's best for everyone, keeping them out of trouble, and still being the one everyone shouted at and blamed.

"This is _your _fault," he snapped, glaring at the blonde with a heated glower. Reid looked taken aback, and immediately went into defensive mode.

"What the fuck?" he retorted, his sharp blue eyes piercing in his anger.

"If you had just kept it in your pants for once, none of this would have happened!" Reid's gaze instantly snapped to Ryanne, who glanced at him, sorrow and fury mixed in together in her beautiful eyes, and sussed out what the argument had been about. He remembered what he had heard Caleb shouting, and got even more pissed off. He had been wanting to shout at the older boy for a long time now, and here was the _perfect_ opportunity.

"Shut your fucking mouth, Danvers," he spat, clenching his fists tightly.

"Did you not listen? I already told you – that's _not_ what happened!" Ryanne cried furiously, her pale green eyes sparking with rage.

"What the hell are you on about, Caleb?" Pogue demanded, looking between his two friends, occasionally shooting a glance at his little sister who was staring at Caleb angrily.

"Ryanne slept with Reid last night," Caleb informed the long haired Son, watching as a range of emotions flitted past his eyes. After a few seconds of a slight Pandora's Box act, Pogue finally settled on the most expected yet unwarranted emotion: anger.

"What the actual fuck, Reid!" he yelled, spinning around to shove the blonde back harshly. Ryanne watched worriedly as Reid stumbled back into the wall, taking a few seconds to catch his breath.

"I can't believe you fucked her!"

"Excuse me, I'm _in_ the room!" Ryanne snapped, insulted by Pogue's common description, especially since it wasn't even _true. _

"Shut up, Ryanne! I'll deal with you later!"

"You'll _deal_ with me?" Ryanne sniped, the exact same time Reid spat in Pogue's face: "Don't talk to her that way!"

Ryanne smiled as Reid stood up for her when he could so easily dismiss it and keep his reputation. Caleb laughed humourlessly.

"Oh, sticking up for her now? Was she that good a fuck buddy?"

"We _didn't_ have sex!"

"I _didn't_ fuck her!"

"We slept in the same bed, that's _it!" _Ryanne cried, scared that she had gotten Reid in serious trouble, and would be kicked out. Also, Addyson was starting to cry from all the yelling.

"Do you really think that low of me? Of _us?_" Reid questioned bitterly, looking Pogue deep in the eye.

"You've got a reputation, Reid," he reminded him and Reid glared at him.

"Even so, do you really think that low of Ryanne?" Both of them shot a look towards the redhead girl, who was picking up Addyson, shushing the child who had big tear drops slipping down her cheeks, her bottom lip trembling.

"Ryanne. Did you have sex with Reid?" Pogue asked, trying his hardest to keep his voice in control. His sister glared at him darkly.

"_No_."

"Did he force you to do anything?" Reid glowered at Pogue's back before gazing at Ryanne deep in the eye, watching as she took insult from Pogue's comment.

"No, he did not! He wouldn't do that, for fuck sake," she cried, rocking Addyson in her arms.

For a second, there was a tense silence in the air, as the audience and the participants waited for Pogue's next words, wondering whether the arguement was over.

"You two can't be together."

"_What_?" Both Reid and Ryanne yelped at once, eyes wide in disbelief and horror. Addyson was getting hysterical as her mother's stress levels rose with her bubbling temper.

Just as Pogue went to speak, there was a cough from behind them all. Sarah and Vesper moved to teh side to reveal a nervous looking Wayne standing in the doorway.

"What, dad?" Pogue bit bitterly, still glaring at the blonde who was watching Ryanne carefully, worried that she would start to cry or break down; annoyed that after _finally_ getting her to relax the night before, she was going right back to how she'd been previously.

"Sorry to interrupt, but there's someone at the door for you."

Pogue swallowed thickly, but didn't take his eyes off Reid to turn to his father.

"Who?"

"Not you, son." Wayne licked his lips, taking in the humid hostility in the air, the bitter wrath on his childen's faces. "He's here for Ryanne."

Ryanne's gaze tore away from Reid, confusion becoming the slightly more dominant expression to answer Wayne's information.

"'He'? Who?" Wayne licked his lips again, watching Addyson now, who was thankfully calming down now that the shouting had stopped. She was sucking her thumb, one little hand on Ryanne's neck, big diamond teardrops hanging off her thick eyelashes, staring round at Reid and Ryanne.

"A young blonde fellow. Said his name was Jace."

* * *

Review?

I'd **love** to know your reactions (:

I have decided – with help of reviewers – to make the sequel come sooner rather than later. There was _always _going to be a sequel, now I just know when it's going to come.

Don't worry, there are a few more chapters left, mainly focusing around Reid and Ryanne's relationship. The next one will incorporate the others a lot more, as well as some more action and better plots and so on. (:

If you have any ideas or characters or whatever, that'd be great.

I'm also looking for songs for It's In Your Blood, so if you have any suggestions, I'd be thankful (: You might even get a certain something named after/dedicated to you...

Also, I feel that my summary is not appealing enough, and is therefor not attracting enough readers. A) what do you think? B) If you agree, could you be very very very kind and help me me think of another one? Thanks guys (: Fact: you rock.

Once again, review!

**(L)**


	30. Great Hearts Break Alike

Ooo quick update _again! _Can you believe it? How much do you love me?

Well, except for the cliff hangers (:

**Angelgrl; TaylorAlexandra; Mischieflover; Shorty808; xavia; DJStroake; Bigamericanflirt; Niffer01; sc1986; 321TinaTerror**

_**.**__disclaimer__**.**_

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

* * *

**Great Hearts Break Alike**

* * *

It was like the world had stopped.

Everything and everyone was drowned out, fading away into the background, no longer important.

_Jace_.

He couldn't be here, could he? How… why…?

_Jace._

Ryanne swallowed, feeling slightly woozy, and gripped the side of the crib for support, barely holding Addyson up with one arm.

"Ryanne," she heard someone say, but couldn't place the voice, despite she _knew _she should be able to do so. It was just no longer important.

Her knees shook, and she felt Addyson slipping in her arms, her child trying to hold on. One part of her mind panicked as her daughter fell, and tried to force her to move, but the other was blank, stuck in a single loop, repeating the same word, the same _name _over and over and over again.

_Jace. _

Suddenly, the weight in her arms vanished, and she was surprised enough to glance at the blonde standing in front of her, Addyson now in _his _arms rather than hers. The golden haired toddler was smiling up at Reid, who was holding her securely, watching Ryanne worriedly, his expression confused.

"Ryanne?" Daniela's voice pierced through the fog in her mind, her brain instantly making the connection between _that_ sound and _that_ person.

"Ryanne, you need to see him," she said softly, now appearing by her shoulder. "It will help… he wouldn't have come all this way to shout at you, I promise." Ryanne bit her tongue as she stared at the petite brunette, their eyes silently holding a conversation, Daniela trying to persuade gently for Ryanne to see the blonde Brit downstairs, despite that fact she disliked him herself.

"Shall I call him up or…?" Wayne asked, his voice barely concealing his utter bemusement and slight out of place that he was feeling.

"Um, no… I'll go down," Ryanne said, her voice hoarse; she swallowed again, trying to clear her throat. Wayne nodded, and walked down the stairs.

"Come on, girl," Daniela coaxed, linking their arms together, guiding her down the stairs. Vesper was torn between looking worried and anxious for her sisterly friend, and being excited because Jace was here - because, surely, if Jace was here, everything would be okay.

By the time Ryanne got down the stairs, Nael was already there, holding a light conversation. She watched as the two embraced, slapping each other's backs, laughing quietly at some unknown joke.

Daniela coughed, and the two boys turned; Jace's face instantly fell, the happy façade falling to reveal the pure concern.

"Ryanne," he whispered, and Nael slipped away, staring pointedly at the others to copy him. Reluctantly, Kate, Sarah, Caleb, Nael and Tyler filtered into the living room, closing the door behind him. Vesper stayed, loping over to Jace to throw her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. He grinned, picking her up and spinning her around. She laughed youthfully, before running off to join the others, feeling the following situation would be out of her league.

Reid stayed, not wanting to leave Ryanne's side, using the fact he had Addyson in his arms as an excuse. He glared at Jace; he knew how he had made Ryanne feel back in London, and hadn't forgiven him for it. The blonde gangster made up about three quarters of the redhead's worry.

Daniela and Pogue lingered by the foot of the stairs, not sure whether to leave or to stay.

"Ryanne," Jace muttered again, walking forwards only to stop a foot or two away from her. His hands were clenched, sweaty and clammy from his constant fidgeting, and his forehead had a thin sheen that glistened in the light.

"What you doing here?" Ryanne asked softly, not quite looking him in the eye.

"I wanted to apologise… I couldn't believe that I had left it the way it was… I am _so _sorry, Ry', I honestly am..." he pleaded, his fingers trembling. It was hard for him to apologise in front of watchers, especially Reid who was glaring at him, but he pushed his pride aside, needing Ryanne to forgive so much more.

"You travelled all this way to say sorry?" Ryanne laughed nervously, she too feeling the stares of the others thrust into her back, making her dip her head.

"I wasn't going to do it over the phone," Jace scoffed. "You mean more to me than _that_."

Reid frowned as he digested Jace's words… there was something about him, something about how he addressed Ryanne that unnerved him, sparking an emotion in him that he wasn't used to feeling.

_Jealousy_.

"Are you still angry with me?" Ryanne asked, fearing his reply. Jace swallowed slowly, his eyes flicking to Daniela who was watching them carefully, before looking back to Ryanne, ignoring the warning looks of the half-brother.

"…I want you back home with me, yeah… but I can understand why you're staying here, I really can. But please, understand _why _I got mad… I can't protect you if you're here…" Reid made a strange noise in his throat, somewhere between a growl and a scoff, and Ryanne glimpsed at him out of her peripheral vision, a soft smile painting her lips. Reid smiled back, and nodded ever so slightly letting her know that _he _would protect her… with his _life _if need be.

Jace watched the interaction between Ryanne and the blonde boy, feeling his heart constrict as he noticed the tenderness in their eyes.

It was then, right then, that he knew he was _too late._

* * *

They hated each other.

No, wait.

They _loathed _each other.

It was easy to see.

Ryanne thought it was stupid, and it was stressing her out. The two of them kept fighting over helping her and helping Addyson, trying to be the _better guy. _It was getting ridiculous.

Thing is, they were so alike. Both of them were practically clones of each other. The most noticeable difference was their accents.

Seriously, that's _it_.

Though, thinking about it, Jace was being worse than Reid, which was odd. He was being so much more protective, not even letting her cut a slice of _bread_ without fretting she'd cut herself. Reid was slightly less overpowering.

Slightly.

It was as if he was worried about being too... Jace-like for fear of annoying Ryanne or pissing of Pogue again. Caleb and Jace, however, he was more than _glad _to piss them off.

Occasionally, Jace and Reid would get into a miniature squabble, before Ryanne or one of the others shushed them enough to get them to calm down.

It was getting _beyond _ridiculous.

Luckily the day was drawing to a close, and she wouldn't have to deal with the pair of them. She only hoped that Jace wouldn't try to stay with her that night, because she wanted Reid too. And she didn't want to have to explain that to Jace.

Mainly because she didn't know _how _to.

Which was a bit of a problem.

Though it would have to get in line with all her hundreds of problems.

And it may have to wait a while.

It was a long line.

* * *

"Stop acting like you know her, because you _don't!" _

"I think I know quite a bit about her, actually!"

"Really? A few months compared to her _entire _life? I don't _think _so!"

Ryanne dropped the pile of clothes she was holding onto the sofa, and sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time, already cursing herself for leaving the two of them alone. She followed the sound of shouting, the echo reverberating along the hallway, unknowingly calling out to the other occupants that may have been in the house, but there were none. Wayne was in his study at the other end of the house; Anna was out; Daniela, Vesper and Nael went to get some food and the remaining trio of boys went over to Nicky's for a couple hours.

She ran into the room, her breathing heavy, staring at the two blondes. Neither of them had realised she was in the room, too engaged in their fervid argument to hear her.

They were standing by Addyson's crib, the child playing with some plastic toys, glancing up at the boys whenever they got too loud, hurting her baby ears.

"You think you know her _so _well, don't you?" Jace spat, not allowing Reid time to reply to his previous comment. "Well you _don't_. You don't her secrets, her past – they are so many things she's keeping from you, and you don't even _know_."

"Jace!" Ryanne gasped, taken aback by her companion's snide and smug comment, one that was not putting her in a good light.

"Everyone has secrets, _Jace," _Reid snapped, spitting out the other boy's name like it was a rotten taste. "She has every right to keep things from me, and I respect that."

"Aw, playing the romantic hero are we? For your _girlfriend?_ How _sweet_." He kept putting sarcastic emphasis on his words, and Ryanne scowled at his tone. This was not like Jace, and was completely uncalled for. Reid hadn't done anything to him.

"I'm 'playing' anything," Reid sniped. "I care for her, and that's all she, and _you _need to know. That's all _I _need to know." Ryanne smiled, and walked forwards, putting a calming hand on Reid's arm, pushing away her stress to emit relaxation and laidback tranquility.

_Liar_.

"It's okay, Reid," she said softly, smiling up at him wide and reassuringly; she could detect the worry in his eyes, and was starting to hate that look – it got rid of his usual happy expression, the one that drew her to him in the first place. She wanted to see it back again.

Once she was sure he had accepted her interference, she turned to Jace, trying to keep back the scowl.

"Jace," she said simply; emotion overwhelmed that one word despite her efforts to keep it back. Reid moved behind her, away from the pair and past Addyson, picking up the child, rocking her in his arms to try and keep away the tears that threatened to fall.

Her heart clenched painfully, but in a good way at Reid's care for the young girl, especially when he knew the truth.

That was when _she_ knew – she knew he was right for her. Reid was for her. Made for her. She knew it now.

_Finally_.

The blonde looked over his shoulder at her, smiling as if hearing her thoughts, before disappearing away down the hall. Ryanne had a sneaky suspicion that he wouldn't be going very far.

"Jace," she said again. He looked at her, hurt and desperation in his deep eyes.

"Jace, you can't keep doing this to me," she sighed, fiddling with the hem of her shirt unconsciously. Jace's jaw clenched, and she watched the muscles protrude for a few seconds, waiting patiently as he answered.

"Doing what?" he asked, his voice slightly higher than normal due to his irritation and stress that was urging on his temper.

"Hurting me, Jace!" she cried, already losing at her determination to remain patient and calm. "Anytime I do something that you don't approve with, you go and shout and yell, and it hurts, Jace. It _hurts. _I mean, I know you're trying to protect me, I really do, but I am my own person! I've got to do some things on my own." She was using her arms to emphasis her words, thrusting them in the air, running a clammy hand through her short hair with a sigh.

"You need protecting, Ryanne! I know you're not weak or anything, but you _are _vulnerable and I don't mean that in a sexist, chauvinistic way, no matter how much your _lover _wants to think so. I _know _you, Ryanne, I know your past, I know what you've been through. _He _doesn't. Please, Ryanne, let me protect you!"

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Jace!" Ryanne yelled, his speech – despite his attempt at calming her – had pissed her right off. "I'm fed up of everyone trying to baby me, trying to _protect _me. I don't care if I'm vulnerable, or what I've been through.. don't you see? That's why I left in the first place!"

"What do you mean?" Jace asked, confused; his teeth were clenched along with his fist, the skin white from lack of blood circulation.

"The reason that I left London was to get away from all this! London is my home, where I grew up, where I met you guys... all my memories are from there, and I've had my best and my worst times there. But... my worst times outnumber my best times by too many, Jace. There's too much pain, too much hurt there, and I hate having to feel that every day. Here I've got a family, a _proper _family, one that cares for me. I have a home, food – I don't have to worry about coming home at night anymore."

"_We_ are your family, Ryanne! Look at everything we've been through – does that not mean _anything _to you?" Jace demanded angrily, gesturing wildly with his hands, his eyes dark and threatening.

Ryanne drew back from him in fury and horror, outraged at the words that just came from Jace's mouth.

"How _dare _you suggest I don't care about you guys, about everything we've been through! How _dare _you!"

"You're acting like everything back there was just a stupid joke that doesn't count for anything!" Jace yelled bitterly.

"'A stupid joke'? Are you fucking _insane_?" Ryanne shouted, enraged. "You're telling me that I think growing up on the _streets _is a joke? That watching my mum being _murdered _is just a bit of a laugh? That being forced to choose between two families, two lives was _fun_ for me?"

The tears were falling now, but they weren't just tears of sorrow – tears of anger, of frustration, of hurt and of insult were making paths for the others to follow down her cheeks, dripping down onto the floor, staining it with her emotion.

Ryanne stumbled back, unable to look at him, wanting to call for Reid, but unable to speak. Her hands reached out, and suddenly, he was there; he took hold of her hands, pulling her over to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She hid her face in his shoulder, breathing in his scent, thankful that he had somehow sensed that she needed him.

Reid glared at Jace over Ryanne's head, the look being sourly returned, only enhanced by Ryanne's blatant want for Reid to be there, that she chose _him _to comfort her. Jace swallowed, his face looking as if he had swallowed poison.

"Ryanne-" Jace started, trying to keep his voice calm, but Reid interrupted him.

"I think you've done enough damage; I think it would be best if you left," he said, sounding like his father even to him.

"Fuck off!" Jace yelled, finally snapping at Reid's words. He was furious that this stupid _naive_ boy dare pretend like he knew Ryanne that way he did. That he could fuck over her heart, just like everyone else. Couldn't she see? He was going to break her heart!

"I watched how you do it, how you go around, fussing over her, standing up for her, hovering around her, playing with Addyson like she was your own!" Ryanne tensed, her fingers gripping Reid's shirt tensely, trying to steady her breath as she begged silently for Jace to _shut up._

"Do you even know the truth? Do even know about Ryanne, about her _dirty _history?" Reid's arms constricted around the girl's back as she flinched, glowering at the older boy with such an intense heat; it was taking all of his self control not to Use and blast him back right at that moment.

"Do you know what Richard did to her? What he did to her mother? Do you know how _broken _she was? Do you know how she used to come to me, _pleading_ for me to hold her, to keep her safe? Did you used to have to watch her cry, sob and weep her heart out every single night, hear her heart break over and _over_ again? Did you have her life in your hands, the most precious and _beautiful_ thing you could hope to imagine? Did you have to spend hours searching for her, only to find her half unconscious in a river? Or bleeding uncontrollably after being stabbed? Or trying to commit suicide? Did you ever have to carry her into a hospital at three in the morning because she had been left alone for _two seconds_ and found by your enemies? Did you have to watch as she cried over your daughter? Did you have to give up your baby girl just so she was safe? Do know what it's like to hold a broken fourteen year old as the two of you watch your daughter being taken away, never knowing whether you'll see her again?"

It was then that all three of them knew he had gone too far.

Ryanne was rigid in Reid's arms as she felt him tense and swallow a few times.

"Your... _your _daughter?" he spluttered.

"Oh, didn't she tell you? I'm Addyson's father."

* * *

Oooo... reactions? Please? For being such a quick update?

You know you love me.

Which means you can't kill me.

Even if it was a big cliff-hanger.

Because how would I get the next chapter up?

Please send me any songs you think would fit the story :) Thanks!

And don't you feel sorry for Jace? I love Jace, he's my favourite character. I mean, look at all that pain and all that responsibility he's had for years – he hasn't always 19 you know (:

What do _you_ think?

**(L)**


	31. Rome Was Not Destroyed In A Day

Ooo quick update _again! _Can you believe it? How much do you love me?

Well, except for the cliff hangers (:

**El Neneo; hockeygrl125; fangsangel; DJStroake; Shorty808; siriuslyblairrr; angelgrl; avidswimmer09; bigamericanflirt; Niffer01; TaylorAlexandra; violi; xavia; Mischieflover; FariyLights; Rukie**

Because of some confusion, I'm going to straighten a few things up: Jace is 19, Ryanne is 16 but swiftly approaching 17 (coughbirthdaychaptercough), Addyson is about 17 months (she can say a few words, including a few she hasn't said yet :) but remember she has been kept in a shit ass orphange for most of her life, and no one has been talking to her. Children only learn to talk if parents or anyone else continually talks to them, it is a proven fact; so Addyson hasn't been open to constant conversation, hence her lack of talk. Hope this clears it up and I apologise for not making this clearer before).

Jace and Ryanne _did _sleep together when she was 14 but it was more out of... well, I'm going to explain it all in the next chapter, there's no point saying it now. But, Jace loves Vesper only as a sister, but yes, there _is _more than friendship with Ryanne on his side. The feelings aren't returned, you'll be happy to know.

Thanks to FariyLights for her songs! I will add them to my IIYB playlist :)

Chapter 31 is dedicated to **DJStroake **& **FariyLights**

_**.**__disclaimer__**.**_

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

* * *

**Rome Was Not Destroyed In A Day**

* * *

The pain was almost unbearable.

A ragged sob tear from her chest as he ripped his arm violently out of her hand. She reached for him, but he just flinched away as if the very idea of her touching him was repulsive.

"Please, Reid," she cried, the tears blurring her vision, her sobs interrupting her words, making them come out in gasps.

"I can't believe..." he muttered, seemingly in shock, determinedly not looking at her, rather starting past her, past the boy standing behind them both.

"I'm _so _sorry, Reid!" Ryanne's voice was thick with the tears, her knees shaking as she reached for him.

"You _slept _with him?" he shouted, finally looking at her, though she wished he hadn't. His gaze was piercing, hitting her heart, shattering it; it was a look of concealed anguish and open anger and it made her want to curse herself to oblivion.

"Please, Reid, you have to understand!"

"Oh, I think I understand quite well," he snapped, stepping away from her, heading towards the door.

"Reid!"she cried, the floor getting every closer as he knees shook threateningly.

"No! Don't even say my name!" he spat, before whirling around and heading out of the room; she heard his footsteps on the stairs, slamming into the wood. The sound of it was like a knife cutting her strings and she fell to the floor, weeping uncontrollably. She was on her knees, her body bent forwards as she held her face and cried, the tears slipping between her fingers, wetting her jeans.

She had almost forgotten about _him _when he spoke.

"Ryanne..." he said hesitantly, a strange mixture of worry and relief thick in his voice.

Ryanne knew that Jace hadn't meant to say all those things, hadn't meant to take it so far; that he was angry, upset and hurt, and had just blurted those things out of spite, but it didn't stop her from leaping to her feet, glaring at the blonde boy.

Jace pulled his head back in shock at Ryanne's expression.

"How _could _you?" she screamed bitterly, flaying her arms in his direction. "How _dare _you say that to him! You did that on purpose you spiteful bastard! You _knew _he didn't know... why would you do that to me? What have I done to deserve this? I thought you loved me Jace! I thought you would be happy for me!"

"I _do _love you, Ryanne!" Jace cried sorrowfully, stepping forwards. "I didn't meant to... he deserved to know, Ryanne, he _needed _to know! Did you just think that you could carry on like happy families, and that he wouldn't find out that you were a mum?" His voice went from woeful to accusing, switching his tactics.

"He knew that Addyson is my daughter already!" she wept, bringing her hands up to her eyes again, physically unable to even _look _at him.

"Didn't he ask about the fa... Oh. I see." Ryanne peered up at him through her fingers, his strange tone of voice confusing her.

"He thought that Richard was the father, didn't he?" Ryanne paused, unable to answer him. She had never thought about it, to be honest.

"I don't..."

"And you just _let _him accept that, did you?"

"No, I... wait, don't even think about turning this on _me!" _she spat, recoiling backwards out of disgust.

"I didn't do it to _hurt _you, Ryanne!" he pled, once again flipping around his tactics, realising that his temper had gotten the better of him again.

"Please, Ryanne, don't hate me. I couldn't stand it if you hated me," he whispered.

The redhead stood there, trembling, staring at Jace, thinking. What was she to do? She loved Jace with all her heart, but she wasn't _in _love with him. Was she _in love _with Reid?

_Yes_.

"I... I can't even look at you, Jace. I never thought I could ever say that to you, but here it is. Go. I don't want to _look at you!" _She shrieked when Jace refused to leave; sighing, he brushed past her, heading towards Addyson's cries.

"_Mumma, mumma!"_

Ryanne sunk to the floor, listening to Jace interact with their child.

Their child.

"Hey, sweetie, you okay?"

"_Up up up!" _Jace laughed, the sound a deep throaty noise.

"Alright, sweetie. You hungry?"

"_Hungry, hungry! Mumma, __I__hungry!"_

"You're a bit of a chatterbox aren't you?"

"_Mumma – want mumma!" _

"Am I not good enough for you, then?"

"_Mumma!" _

"It seems that I'm good enough for anyone anymore."

* * *

_No._

"Fuck!"

_No._

"Fuck!"

_No._

"Fuck! Fuck! _Fuck!" _

His fist was starting to hurt now, but he didn't care.

Each time he hit the wall, he Used to fix it.

His fist, on the other hand, he didn't care about.

_No. _

"Fuck!"

It was impossible. She wouldn't do that to him.

_She didn't know you then._

Then she would have told him.

_She doesn't tell you anything. _

The entire time she could have said something.

_Nothing. _

"Fuck!"

His fingers were broken, the blood dripping down onto the floor, staining his silver carpet maroon.

But he didn't _care. _

"Fuck!"

It was the first time he had opened up to a girl, to anyone. He had shared his _feelings, _something that only _girls_ do with each other. He had made himself look vulnerable and weak.

That's why she didn't want him.

_No._

She wasn't like that, was she?

"Fuck!"

_No. _

He was sure that he knew Ryanne, despite the lack of knowledge he had on her past. He could sense what she wanted, what she needed. That night in her room, it was like she had been speaking loud and clear to him, telling him her wants; the same when she had turned away from... _him – _he just knew that she had wanted him.

Not _him. _

Him.

"Fuck!"

_No. _

Did he not love her anymore? Because she had a kid, and with Jace, did that mean that he no longer felt anything for her?

_No. _

But still... how could she do that to him? Did she just think that she could walk all over him and not expect any consequences?

"Fuck!"

What about _him? _Did she have feelings for him? He for her? He was positive that _he _felt something romantic for Ryanne, but what about Ryanne herself?

_No. _

Every time he looked in her eyes he could see the love, and it wasn't for _him._ He was sure of it. She loved him, not _him. _He knew.

"Fuck!"

So what was he going to do? Forgive her, accept her back into his arms like nothing had happened?

_No. _

He couldn't just leave her, could he? Or Addyson. That kid needed a father, and he would be damned if he would let _him _walk away with her. He needed to be the better man, show Ryanne that he was worthy of her trust, of her loyalty. He loved her, he knew, and there was nothing he could do about it. And she loved him. He knew _that _too.

"Fuck!"

She had hurt him bad. She was sixteen and had slept with a guy he thought was her _brother. _Not only that, they'd had a _child _together. A living, breathing, beautiful child.

So, was he going to let _him _stop him, ruin his chances and heart with Ryanne?

_No. _

Was he going to beg on his knees that Ryanne forgive him?

_No. _

Was he going to hold her while she cried, kiss her, and keep her safe, away from _him_?

_Yes._

* * *

He was watching her. He could see her through the window. She was on her knees, crying.

It was heartbreaking.

If he had a heart.

He was sat in his car, his mobile on his knee, his binoculars in his hands. The car was hidden from sight, so he was safe from being found.

As he gazed at the weeping girl through the lenses, he listened to the phone.

Three rings.

"_Emergency. Which service to do you require?"_

He wasn't too sure what she was crying about, but knew it had something to do with the two blondes who had been arguing only a few minutes before.

It had made him laugh when she started to shout.

It always made him laugh when she stood up to someone.

Something she could never do to him.

"Police."

It was quite surprising how much he could figure out, just by watching them move around and talk to each other. In just a few hours he knew the passion between the three of them.

Probably what they were arguing about.

"_Police department. Please state your emergency."_

It took him a while to decide what one to chose. Originally, he was going to chose the girl, the most obvious.

But least fun now that he knew the truth.

And he was never one to go for the easy option.

He watched as the other blonde walked back into the room, glaring at the one he was more than familiar with.

"I would like to report a murder."

The new blonde picked her up from the ground, holding her around the waist as he said something to the older blonde.

The girl pressed her face into the new blonde's shoulder, ignoring something the other one said to her.

He laughed to himself, adjusting the focus on the binoculars as the operator spoke to him from his knee.

"He shot three of my friends in my house. I know his name. Garwin. His name is Reid Garwin."

* * *

Review, pretty please :)

I'm staying up late to write this :) And I've got coursework to do tomorrow / Be honoured :)

And I've got to my GCSEs soon. Be sorry for me :(

Love you all!

**(L)**


	32. Love Thy Abuser

The _IIYB_ playlist is up and running for y'all on my profile, though I would love if anyone has anymore suggestions :)

**Niffer01; El Neneo; mischieflover; angelgrl; PorcelainChaos; Rukie; hockeygrl125; Taylor Alexandra; Fariy Lights; DJStroake; sanya12; bigamericanflirt**

I love all your reactions to the last few chapters, chapter 31 the most. Someone of you got it, some of you didn't, though there is one fact that you all completely missed out on. I wonder whether you'll get it this chapter :)

_.disclaimer. _

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

* * *

**Love Thy Abuser**

* * *

_He had taken her back. _

_He had taken her back. _

_He had taken her back._

Despite the amount of times she thought it, she still couldn't believe it. It was so miraculous that Ryanne doubted it, thinking she was dreaming.

The taste of his lips proved her wrong.

They were lying on his bed, her in his arms, doing nothing. It was bliss, it was tranquil. Ryanne couldn't believe it was happening.

"Why?" she asked, turning her face into his chest as his hand stroked her hair. She sensed him think, his fingers twiddling with a few loose strands of red, sorting out an answer.

"Becasue I love you," he said simply. Ryanne grinned into his shirt, and asked him again.

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

"Why?"

"Because I _love you." _He knew what she was doing and smiled; he was making her happy and he loved it.

It didn't mean that he had forgotten.

"Why?" He asked it this time, and Ryanne sighed, knowing this was an inevitable question she couldn't avoid. He had accepted her back – he deserved this at least.

"It's complicated, Reid," she said, not taking her face away from his chest, though she twisted her head slightly so she was coherent.

"Just try," he urged gently, carefully concentrating on twisting her hair so that he seemed relaxed to her. If she thought that he was okay and calm, then she would tell her story.

"I have known for most of my life. He has protected me from a very young age, when he didn't even have to. He took care of me and Vesper, never failing us. He was like an older brother, the closest of friends. He and Vesper were the pure definition of siblings, but Jace and I... we were slightly different." She sighed, but Reid said nothing. He fiddled with her hair still.

"I guess... I guess I was closest to Jace... Ves' was closer to Nael than me, so I suppose it was only natural. I loved Nael, but Jace and I just clicked.

"Over the years, we grew closer; I told him everything, and I mean everything. He knows things about me that Vesper and Nael would never even think of. I grew up knowing that I always had someone there for me, no matter what the situation. And because of my family, I grabbed onto that passionately, refusing to let go.

"Jace was the one to find me just after Richard... he was the one to find me. He saw it, he knew what had happened. Yet, he didn't judge me. Once again he saved the day, took me out of there... I would have been next otherwise. Vesper and Nael knew what had happened in theory, but they didn't know the truth of it all. They didn't see it. Jace did.

"Before that, he saw everything else too. None of the others knew that I tried to commit suicide. They didn't see me like that. I was the strong and calm Ryanne, the one that could hold her own, knew what to do in any situation. Not really. That was just Jace talking.

"I was broken, but when I was with Jace, I was okay. He kept me together. He was like that piece of me that was missing... I needed him to survive. He never judged me, no matter what I did, and I did a _lot _f of stupid things in my time. All to get rid of the pain.

"It grew to more than sibling feeling, I knew. I was young and Jace was the only person I ever knew. The feeling inside of me... I didn't know back then that it was love – at least, not _that _kind of love, not the kind of love I have for you. It was a different love – just as strong, but not the same kind. But I didn't know. I was young.

"One night I had been at home with Daniela. Richard was drunk... he went further than before that night. The things he did to us... finally when he let us go... Daniela ran, but I didn't know where to go, too stunned to think.

"But Jace was there. He was _always _there. He found me and took me somewhere private knowing that I wouldn't be able to stand to be around others. I told him what happened, and even though he was angry, he stayed calm, holding me. I was delirious, just happy that he was there, in pain of what Richard had done, needing an release. I felt dirty, I felt wrong. I needed that to change. Jace offered me that change.

"It was one time and one time only. At the time... it was amazing, because it was a new feeling, but we never did it again. I don't know... there was just something inside of me that didn't feel like that was _right_. My heart just wasn't in _that place _for Jace. I think his was, for me, but he never asked me, never pressured me. Nothing really changed, I don't think.

"Then, I was pregnant. I didn't realise until I had a bump. My mum found out and tried to get me to have an abortion, but I couldn't. For some reason I wanted to be a mum, to be that strong a person. Every good mum in the world is strong because of what they do... I wanted to be like that. I didn't want to be a kid anymore

"Richard found out and guessed correctly who the father is. Blackmail. It was instant. If I wasn't good then I would have to say goodbye to the baby. And he didn't mean by abortion.

"When Jace found out about Richard's threats he was furious, and hid me away from Richard until I gave birth to Addyson. I was torn... did I keep her, or give her away? Once seeing her, my mum wanted to keep her, but I wasn't sure. I didn't want her growing up around guns and knives and abuse and torture. She deserved a happy home and a loving family.

"It was only when Richard got really drunk and attacked Daniela did Jace convince me to give Addyson to the adoption home. He was devastated that he was making me do that... that was the only time I had seen him cry, but in the end, we gave her up.

"We never saw her again."

* * *

It was late. Too late. But still they came.

A sharp knock on the door.

Red and blue lights flashed through the house as Wayne plodded to the front door, wearily rubbing his eyes as he tugged open the door.

"Mr. Garwin?" Wayne squinted against the lights as he shook his head. He stared at the police cars outside his house.

"No, I'm Wayne Parry. Is there a problem, officer?"

"Is Mr. Reid Garwin here? We were told that he was currently residing here... is this not his house?"

"Yes, he's here... my home is his home too, too all of the boys..." Wayne asked confused.

The others were huddled around the foot of the stairs watching Wayne talk to the police officer. When they mentioned Reid, everyone turned around to look at him questioningly. He shook his head; he hadn't done anything. He had barely left the house.

Ryanne clutched as his arm and he pulled her closer to him, feeling her fear.

For once, Pogue didn't say anything.

"Is Mr. Reid Garwin here?" the man asked again with monotone impatience, and Wayne sighed, looking over his shoulder. He beckoned the blonde forward cautiously before frowning at the offier.

"I respect that you need to speak to him, but would you mind telling me why you are disturbing my family at such an untimely hour?" The officer regarded Reid with a steely gaze, his grip tightening on his holster; as Reid stood by Pogue's father, Ryanne as his side and the others behind him, the officer pulled out some silver handcuffs.

"Mr Reid Garwin: you are under arrest on suspicion of murder.

* * *

No one could get through to her. Anything they said wasn't heard. She felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing.

Her arms were wrapped around her chest as she rocked back and forth, her eyes trained on the floor, unseeing.

They were all sat in the police station minus Kate and Sarah who were babysitting Addyson, while Reid was being questioned. Wayne was on the phone to Reid's father as he tapped his fingers against the front office, sufficiently annoying the woman sat on the other side.

Jace was sat beside Ryanne, Daniela on the other side, the two constantly trying to talk to Ryanne, but she just ignored them all, not even hearing them.

Caleb, Pogue and Tyler were talking to a young officer who was reluctantly giving them some information.

"He's up for three murders," he explained and the Sons exchanged confused looks.

"But he hasn't been anywhere," Tyler said sharply, and the officer shook his head.

"We've got an eye witness who saw it all. We've got three dead people, and a suspect who was seen around the area. It's pretty straight forward," he said, shrugging.

"But he's been with us the entire time, for fuck sake!" Daniela exclaimed from her seat, getting pissed off with all the careful tiptoeing around the police. The officer frowned at her.

"I didn't say it was recent, did I?" he retorted, before looking back to the three boys.

"We're getting in contact with the local police from the crime scene; there's not a lot of physical evidence, but it's pretty much in the bag. Sorry boys," he said sympathetically before darting off into an office at the end of the crowded hall.

"What the actual fuck," Daniela fumed, crossing her arms and sitting back in her chair. Jace had followed the officer with his eyes, a deep frown scarring his eyes.

"I hate authority," he spat. He wasn't used to being so helpless. Back home, _he _was the police.

"Who would do this?" Pogue asked angrily, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. Caleb shook his head, not having an answer.

"Someone sick," Daniela seethed, and the others nodded. She was just pissed off that Ryanne's chance at being happy was being snatched away from her _again. _

As the two girls sat there, both not talking, one not even responding, they both thought of the same thing, the same person.

It made sense.

But they couldn't say anything.

Because it wasn't true.

Because that would mean that he was _here. _And he couldn't be. He just couldn't be.

Daniela shuddered, shuffling nearer to Ryanne out of instinct. As vivid memories past through her mind she turned and threw her arms around her friend, her sister, hugging her fiercely.

In a second, Ryanne was hugging her back, sensing what Daniela was thinking. Something that only they knew, something that explained a lot. Something that shouldn't be true, but due to some unfair glitch of life was true.

The others watched as the girls embraced, crying together silently.

In that one instant they looked like sisters, bound together by blood, by descent.

Well, they were close.

They weren't bound by blood.

Ryanne wasn't related to Richard.

* * *

Please, please, please review. I've gotten a review from someone saying that I already have enough readers when I said I thought I needed more a few chapters back, but I'm not being greedy...

Okay, maybe a little bit, but I would really love more! All you authors out there know what I mean. That's not to say that I've already got the **best** reviewers in fanfiction! :)

Remember to check out the playlist of my profile, and see if you can suggest anymore :)

**(L)**


	33. A Stitch In Time Saves Nothing

Back from my holiday : Which means more updates! Images on my profile.

**TaylorAlexandra; Niffer01; hockeygrl125; DJStroake; Violi; jEaNs 'N' tEe GiRl; Rukie; Fairy Lights; bigamericanflirt; mischieflover; El Neneo; Evil Little Chaotic Angel**

_.disclaimer._

Enjoy!

**_D_**resden **_L_**ace

* * *

**A Stitch In Time Saves Nothing**

* * *

It was horrible seeing him like that. Seeing him so... defenceless, so vulnerable.

He had deep bruises under his now dull blue eyes, his face sallow, his hair limp, the usual playful glint in his confident expression now long gone.

He was alone in the white room, sat at a metal table, handcuffed to it, his ankles attached to the chair. His head was hung, not knowing that she was watching him.

Ryanne was on the other side of the glass, tears in her eyes as she listened to the others argue with the police. They had been trying to get Reid out, to get some information, for them to tell them who made the phone call, but all attempts were in vain. The police were refusing to tell them anything and were just getting more and more annoyed as the days went on.

Yes, _days. _

They had been there for two days now. Forty eight hours.

More importantly, Reid had been sat in that room the entire time. Most of the time alone, some of the time being interrogated by a large man who did not like the blonde Son, to say the least.

"Tell us who made the fucking phone call!" Daniela spat in a young police officer's face, grabbing him by the lapels. Tyler put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down but made no move to get her off the man. None of them did.

The police officer – a young man who had only walked into the room to grab a cup of coffee, and had no real experience of being an officer for very long – stared at the girl in surprise and swallowed, summoning up his police attitude.

"Release me, Miss, I am warning you." Daniela laughed harshly before shoving him up against the wall, her face mere centimetres from his own.

"Tell me!" she shouted.

"Last warning, Miss, before I arrest you for manhandling a police officer." The poor boy's voice shook and Daniela laughed bitterly, humourlessly. She was getting back into her usual demeanour, the attitude that won her respect and praise from all the large gangs in the world.

"I would like you to see you try, you pathetic scum! If you don't tell me who phoned in right _now, _I will kick your ass so hard that your grandchildren will be walking with a limp!"

"I suggest that you do what she says – she's not one to break promises," Ryanne said softly from her spot by the window. The man looked at her, then back at Daniela who was glowering at him fiercely. He knew that he shouldn't, that it was against the law but he felt like he was in no position to refuse them. The petite brunette's fingers were already creating nasty welts in his neck, her vicious gaze piercing him violently, and the young redhead who had her back to him, speaking to him in a soft, gentle, detached voice... he couldn't refuse.

"We're not entirely sure... he gave no name, but it was an adult male, maybe around his forties. British accent. Said he was an eyewitness to a murder and that he knew who the murderer was. We checked up with the local police and sure enough, there are deaths there and the boy was seen around the area."

"British accent...?" Pogue repeated slowly, looking around at the two girls. It was obvious that they knew who had phoned in. Just by the way they stood, it was obvious they knew.

"Richard," Daniela spat, pushing the officer back against the wall to release him. She huffed, pushing back her long hair with a sigh.

She couldn't believe it. He _was _here. He was _here. _

"Will this ever stop?" she whispered to herself, locking eyes with Tyler who stood before her; his soft blue eyes conveying his love for her, his feelings for her. Immediately, she relaxed, reassured, but there was still tension in her body, still a panic that she knew how to hide. Something she had gained when she was still a young girl, something that had taken years to control.

What she didn't know, was that Tyler could see it. He could see it in her eyes, feel her fear, taste her panic, sense her hurt. Once had gotten past the barriers she erected within her eyes, it was easy to see her pain.

Not for Jace though. He was too busy looking at Ryanne to even think about the pain of anyone else. He was stood across the room from her, staying out of the way of the others, feeling that he wasn't wanted there; the blonde watched as her shoulder's sagged, her fists clenched and tears fell to the floor.

He watched as she raised a hand and pressed it against the glass. He watched as she leaned her forehead against it, as if to touch the boy in the other room. He watched as his heart broke.

* * *

A dull light shone from the ceiling onto the table. It had originally blinded him, hurt his eyes, but now they had grown used to the pain and he couldn't stop staring at the spiked circle of light.

The lack of food and water was getting to him, and he would almost sway in his chair at times, getting a sensation similar to head rush, a sensation the attacked him mirthlessly.

His fingertips would press into the metal table, digging into the impenetratable material as if to hold on, keeping himself upright. After a few seconds had passed and he felt as if he was steady, he would pull back his fingers – the only part of his hands that he could move – and study the indent of sweat that he had left behind.

Cold sweat, that's what it was. It made him shiver, his back freezing, his shirt stuck to it uncomfortably. The muscles in his legs would quiver every so often, the awkward positioning of his limbs making them occasionally spasm. It was annoying, embarrassing... at least, he thought it was. He wasn't entirely sure. He couldn't think straight.

Sometimes he thought he heard something and would cast his eyes up; never his whole head, never that. Too much effort. Didn't want them thinking he was interested or something, for that would make them stop.

He knew that there were people behind the large mirror. It was blatantly obvious. Anyone who had seen a television programme or a movie knew that it 

wasn't just any old mirror for the officers to check their makeup or straighten their jackets. Behind it would be the police, watching him for a psychological reaction, waiting for the time where he would snap under the mental duress.

He wasn't sure, but there were times when he thought... when he _felt _her. It was like she was behind the mirror, watching him, waiting for him. The first few times he looked up, but it made him feel... vulnerable almost, so he stopped doing it.

"_Tell me!" _He froze, listening intently, still keeping his head down. He tried to hear for anything, any sign of a scuffle, but there was nothing.

_Nothing. _

"Ryanne," he whispered, his fists clenched. He wanted to hold her so back, to see her smile, hear her laugh. But couldn't. He knew what she would be like, and he hated it. He hated it to the very core of his body.

And then he froze. He felt her. He _felt _her.

He looked up then, staring at the mirror, staring through it. He knew she was there, he _knew _it. She had to be.

"Ryanne," he whispered, pulling against his restraints, desperate to get to that mirror.

"I love you," he called. "I love you."

* * *

_Ring._

_Ring. _

_Ring. _

"Hello?"

It was Wayne who had picked up the phone: it was his mobile, lying discarded on the table as he used the police phone to contact Reid's father – the very man who was away on holiday with his new girlfriend somewhere in Africa. _Sort it out yourself, brother, _he had said. _It's Reid's problem now._

"Hello?" he asked again when no one answered on the other end.

Silence.

"Mr Wayne Parry."

"Yes?" He hung up on Reid's father and turned to the others, frowning. They looked at him, sensing the unease in the situation.

"Is Miss Ryanne Valentine with you?" Wayne looked at Ryanne, but she was the only one not facing him, her eyes only for her heart. Daniela's gaze went from her friend to Pogue's father.

_Click. _

She knew who was on the phone.

"No!" She shook her head hurriedly, dashing over to the older man, the others closing in on them two. Only Jace stayed back, still watching the redhead wearily. His face was calm, but his eyes were raging. His fingers dug into the flesh of his own arms, imaging a certain man's face was beneath his skin.

"No, I'm afraid she's not at the moment. Can I take a message?" There was a pause.

"I don't appreciate lies, Mr Parry," the man said lightly. Wayne stared helplessly at Daniela, looking for instructions. She mouthed _loudspeaker. _Wayne pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the appropriate button.

"I'm not lying, Sir, I can assure you she is not here. She is out with some friends at the moment, at the local bar. Can I take a message?" he asked again. There was another pause. Everyone held their breath.

"That is very odd, Mr Parry."

"And why is that?"

_Breathing. _

"Because I'm looking at her right now."

* * *

Review? Please?

Enjoy your hols everyone!

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**(L)**


	34. Laughter Is The Only Medicine Left

**Niffer01; MoonWolfRunner; hockeygrl125; TaylorAlexandra; Rukie; Moroven**

Y'all rock, you know that?

_.disclaimer._

Enjoy!

**_D_**resden **_L_**ace

* * *

**Laughter Is The Only Medicine Left**

* * *

Mass panic.

Though, there were only ten of them. But still.

Mass panic.

Only way to describe it.

Jace had grabbed at Ryanne, tugging her away from the window, pulling her into his chest, glaring around the room. Daniela and the Sons were scanning the small office for some sign of being watched, but there were no windows, nothing.

There was laughter from the phone.

"Oh, I love watching Jacey getting all protective. It does make me laugh."

Jace made a human approximation of a growl, the sound rumbling against Ryanne's cheek as she held onto him, the trembling starting.

"You're lying," Pogue spat into the phone, grabbing it off his father.

"Son, you don't need windows to watch. I would have thought someone from your generation would have known that."

More laughter.

"The cameras," Daniela whispered. "He's watching from the cameras."

As everyone glanced up at the four cameras that were placed in each corner of the room, the red light staring down at them like an eye, like the laser from a gun pointing at your heart.

"Oh, well done Dani, well done. I knew you would have been the first to work it out. You always were the cleverest."

Daniela hissed, yanking the small mobile out of Pogue's large hands.

"My name is Daniela, you fucktard! What the fuck do you want Richard?" she barked ferociously down the microphone, the sound rebounding off the walls.

Just more laughter.

"Oh, Dani, I'm sure you can work it out. Mummy over there set the police on me, and it took a lot of money to persuade them I was innocent. You threatened me. And, I really just don't like Jacey. Sorry mate," Richard apologised to Jace who's look of outrage was impossibly cold.

"Fuck you!" he retorted darkly, hugging the girl in his arms tightly, feeling her shake.

"You set the police on him," Nael murmured from the shadows. "Nice." Ryanne laughed, the sound slightly blurred by unshed tears.

"Mummy?" Pogue asked, looking at Ryanne with a frown. Just as it dawned on him, Daniela hurriedly spoke, pushing past the second eldest Son.

"What do you want?" she repeated, slamming her hands down on the table the phone was now resting on. There was a slight pause.

"For you to pay, of course."

* * *

He knew something was wrong.

He didn't know what exactly, but knew that _something_ was wrong.

When he talked to one of the guards who came in to take him out, he asked if he could see one of his friends, but the guard just shrugged.

"Sorry, son," he had said. "Been told that they're busy."

"They're _busy_?" he asked in disbelief. It was only after a second that he realised that it was something to do with this whole... situation.

"Where are they?" The officer just pointed lazily over his shoulder towards the window; Reid nodded, already knowing this, just needing a confirmation.

"Can I go and see them?" The officer laughed brusquely.

"Sorry, son, but you're under arrest with suspicion of treble homicide. You're not leaving this room unless you're pissing your pants." Reid scowled, and not for the first time, felt the tauntingly seductive urge to Use, to shut up the cocky officer for once and for all. But then he thought of his brothers and of Ryanne, and with a sigh, the temptation faded away to a low simmer.

"When's my fucking lawyer getting here?" Reid demanded, slamming his fists down onto the table as much as his restraints let him.

"Whenever your father sends him over, son." With that, the man left, chuckling to himself as he went. Reid rolled his eyes.

"So I'll be getting my lawyer in about... four months," Reid mumbled to himself, heaving out a huff of air. He didn't have the energy to be angry.

He just wanted to know who had gotten him into this mess.

If only he knew.

* * *

They were no longer in the small office: some group of policemen had ushered from the room, angry that they had taken so long in the first place; they weren't supposed to be in there without supervision.

"Alright, alright," Wayne said, waving away the pissy guards. "We're out now, just leave us be." Soon they were alone in some old kitchen type room, the door closed tight.

Two cameras watched them from the ceiling.

"What does he mean by 'pay'?" Caleb asked, looking between the two girls. Jace let out a bark of bitter laughter.

"What do you think, dumbass?" Ryanne shushed him from her position beside him, her body curled up on the window sill as she stared out into the dark. The sun had long given up its reign and was slumbering, something she had barely down for many an hour. None of them had.

"Jackson & Son ltd? What's with that?" Tyler asked, his arm twitching as he wished he could sling it around the petite brunette's shoulder, but he couldn't. At least she was sat beside him, their shoulders touching: that was enough for now.

Well, almost enough.

"Some abandoned warehouse about fifteen minutes away," Wayne informed them, deep in thought. "There's hardly anyone around there, they all left when the bridge collapsed. It's in shit condition; about half the floors have fallen in – it's a dangerous place to be."

"He won't be there," Nael said. "He's not stupid enough to give away his location." The others nodded. "But, that's where he wants you lot to go... I think the fact that it's abandoned... and dangerous is why he chose it." Again, they all nodded. Ryanne sighed, rolling her eyes as she leant her head against the cool wall behind her.

"Ugh," was all she said. She didn't want to think about the reality of this, that Richard, her abusive, psychotic, murdering step-father was actually here, watching her as she thought. That her boyfriend, her love was locked up in a room for something he didn't do, and that there was no clear way out of this. She couldn't leave the country like she had last time.

"Addyson," she whispered abruptly to Jace, turning her face away from the two cameras by the door. Jace nodded, sliding nearer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She thrust her face into the convenient space between his neck and shoulder, and inhaled deeply. A faint shimmer of a smile dusted her lips: he smelt just as he always did.

"She's safe," he whispered to her. "She's safe."

"Yeah, but you're not," Wayne pointed out, leaning against the door, his arms crossed across his chest. Never in a million years did he ever think he would be caught in this type of situation. It was beyond thought.. and he didn't even know what was going on.

"First question: who is this guy?" he asked, looking around the room. He knew that the Sons knew too, and this irked him, but he said nothing of it. Maybe, at the time, it hadn't been important. Well, it certainly was now.

"Richard." Wayne raised his eyebrows at Daniela.

"Richard _who_?"

"Richard Nicholson."

"_Thanks_, Daniela."

"No problem, Wayne."

The group held back a snicker at the interaction before Wayne started up again.

"Right, next question. Is this man capable of doing any damage?" He got the answer just by the expressions on the group faces.

"Okay, yes... but how much?" Ryanne, really not in the mood for the stupid wasting of time preliminaries, replied in a heavily sarcastic tone.

"Well, let's see, he k... attacked my mother, repeatedly abused me and Daniela, and, oh yeah, shot four people who then three quarters of them died... fuck no!" Ryanne sat up from her position on the window sill, her eyes wide as she stared at Daniela. No one at first got what she had just realised, but then Ryanne watched as the penny dropped. Jace and Daniela were the first to get it.

"The murders..." Daniela whispered, looking at Jace directly, the blonde returning the stare.

"He's using the deaths of the _Brethren_ to fuck up everything here? That sick bastard is going down," Jace seethed, his grip on Ryanne tightening subconsciously.

"What?" Pogue asked, head whipping back and forth between people. "What the actual hell are you on about?" Ryanne explained wearily, her voice stiff, almost out of breath.

"Reid's been pinned with three murders, right, cause he was apparently 'seen' to do it, and has been spotted around the area at the time? Well, when I left that little party and went to the flat, Richard was there. Jace, just having come out of hospital, had sent four guards on me, just like always. Scar, Hok, Bullett Jnr and Hawk followed behind me and came into help me when I was with Richard – they heard me scream. But he shot them, all of them, before they could do anything... Scar was the only one to survive. Three deaths, three murders. And, Reid was just around the corner, none the wiser."

There was a still silence as the information was processed, stored and reacted to.

"We've got a witness then, we need that Scar guy to say that Reid is innocent!"

"Scar is in the ICU at the moment. He's not talking to anyone," Jace informed them dully, and Pogue sighed, angry that everything seemed to be going against them.

"How are we going to get out of this then? How are we getting Reid out of this?" Tyler asked the crowd, not really expecting an easy answer.

Everyone jumped when Ryanne laughed loudly, the sound incredibly humorous, even genuine at first; but then the undertone slipped into their brains and chilled them: that strange sound of hysterical happiness, the dark noise of manic hilarity. It wasn't something the Sons had heard before, nor Wayne, but the others knew that sound, and knew it well. For many a year, that was the only sound of laughter than left the redhead's mouth, and too, Daniela's, though hers was a lot more fierce than Ryanne's.

"He said on the phone, silly!" she cried jovially, swinging her feet like a child. Jace felt his body tremor as he exchanged horrified expressions with Nael, who too looked like four years younger. Vesper shivered in the corner, unable to stand all this emotional turmoil. She slid down the wall, tears falling without a hint of stopping.

"The only for us to stop it is for us to go see Richard, obviously! Gosh, Pogue, I thought you were cleverer than that!" she giggled, throwing her head back to emphasis the sound.

Daniela watched from her position beside Tyler, trying to contain the laughter in her chest. It was ridiculous, she knew, to laugh at this situation, but that was what experience told her to do – it was the only thing to do.

Without warning, she started to snicker, chuckle quietly to herself; she had to cover her mouth to contain the pure laughter that was bursting to sound.

"Daniela?" Tyler whispered from beside her, which just worsened the situation. The hysteria rose in her chest, and she too threw her head back and cried out in laughter, her eyes watering from the sheer mirth of it all. _Why aren't they laughing?_ she thought to herself, suddenly confused with the seriousness of her companions.

"What's with them?" Caleb asked, bewildered by the two, their reactions completely inappropriate.

"They used to do this back home, though I didn't know Daniela did it... it's a defence mechanism," Nael explained, his voice shaky. Jace spoke up.

"Before, when it was much more... serious, Richard, and life, had managed to warp their natural thoughts and reactions to things. They found things like death and mutilation funny, and enjoyed the idea of getting hurt."

"It's like hypomania: they experience episodes of impulsive behaviour... Ryanne did it a lot when under sudden stress, or had been injured or something of the sort... I guess Daniela has it too..." Nael added.

"Richard loved it; whenever Ryanne had an episode around him, she would throw herself into the abuse... find it funny, hilarious-" Jace cut himself off, feeling as if he was about to be sick. The Sons certainly looked like they were.

"Oh my gosh guys, cheer up will you?" Ryanne cried happily from the window sill, still sniggering away to herself, Daniela copying her.

"Yeah, guys, we have to think about a plan..." Daniela said, trying to talk in a serious tone, but failing completely with a snort of laughter at the end.

"Gosh, D', we already know what the plan is! Daddy said it on the phone!"

Suddenly Jace spun to face Ryanne, grabbing her by the forearms roughly.

"Shut up, Ryanne, shut up! He is not your dad!" He shook her when she smiled, biting her lip. "Ryanne, do you understand me? He. Is. Not. Your. Dad." When Ryanne nodded, he let go of her, breathing heavily, his eyes livid. He stepped back, watching her carefully.

There was a heavy silence.

Laughter.

"Yeah, only three year olds call their father 'daddy'!" Daniela snickered from beside Tyler who was staring at her in disbelief and pain. Ryanne chuckled, her eyes closing as she shook from her laughter.

"Sorry! Fine, father said it on the phone!"

_Smack_.

Everyone gasped when Jace struck Ryanne, his hand slapping hard across her face, her head turning from the force. She had to grip the side of the sill for support, her vision spinning. There was a red hot pain on her cheek, and tears sprung to her eyes.

"For fuck sake, Ryanne, snap out of it! He is not your fucking father, _he_ is!" he shouted, gesturing wildly at Wayne who was watching the interaction with wide, shocked eyes.

Ryanne watched Jace, her expression blank for a few minutes. Jace waited for that thick, psychological facade to drop from her eyes. The redhead slid her gaze over to Daniela, who grinned, then looked back at Jace. Her lips twitched.

"That's _it_!" Jace grabbed her by the forearm, yanking her harshly up from the window sill. He pulled her around, and thrust her forwards, dragging her to a stand. Then, he turned, and marched towards the door, pulling it open with his free hand. The others followed behind, not quite sure what to think. Should they be angry because Jace had slapped Ryanne, or should they be relieved that he knew how to handle this?

"Jacey, where _are_ you going?" Daniela asked, skipping alongside the couple, smiling as Ryanne snickered from her painful position. Jace grimaced through his panicked fury, knowing that that was exactly why she was laughing.

Police officers looked up as they passed, but one stern look from Wayne, and the sheer ominous glare from Jace, they stayed silent.

"Open the door," Jace demanded to the guard. He got a nod from his superior officer behind Wayne – who had handed him a few bills to just go along with whatever the blonde was going to do – and opened the door.

Reid looked up from his seated position on the chair, his expression confused yet hopeful. When he saw Jace dragging in Ryanne by the arm, he was immediately and automatically enraged.

"What the fuck?" he yelled as Jace shoved Ryanne forwards, causing the girl to drop to her knees with a low thud. He tried to shoot up from his chair, but his restraints held him back, and he could only sit and glare.

"What the fuck's wrong with you, Jace?" he spat angrily as the older boy glowered at him in return.

"Fix her."

"What?"

"Fix her. You seem to have some special hold over her; you seem to calm her down better than I can, so do it. Calm her down. Fix her."

"What the hell do you mean?"

As if to answer Reid's question, Ryanne started to giggle from her kneeling position. Lifting her head, she winked at the blonde at the table, then whirled around to look for Daniela.

"Look, D'! I'm _bleeding_!" Reid's eyes widened, and then he locked gaze with Jace who raised his eyebrows.

"Fix. Her."

Reid didn't know what to do. He didn't even know what was going on? Thereff was obviously something direly wrong with his love, but he didn't know what. And if he didn't know what, how could he be expected to 'fix her'?

He glanced up at Nael, hoping he would be more helpful than the arrogant blonde gang leader.

"She's hysterical. Richard is the one who set you up, and he's been on the phone. Demanding for her, Daniela and Jace to meet him in an abandoned warehouse so they can 'pay'. Daniela and Ryanne have lapsed back into an old habit of theirs: to have a manic episode where they find everything is funny, and that getting hurt is hilarious. Ryanne also seems to create strong bonds with Richard when she's like this, referring to him as her father, wanting to be with him, enjoying the abuse he inflicts on her."

"_Fix her_," Jace reinstated before turning around and dismissing the others, closing the door behind him.

It was just Reid and Ryanne alone.

"Ryanne," he whispered, his voice torn. Ryanne just giggled again, still kneeling on the floor, inspecting her scraped palm with sickening interest.

"Ryanne, please, don't do this to yourself. Don't let him win," he pleaded, the pain of not being able to hold her mutilating his heart.

"But Reeeid," she whined. "It's so _funny_!"

"No, it's not, honey," he said softly. "I know that you don't know what to do, and that you're scared, but don't do this to yourself, don't do this to me."

Ryanne looked up at him, smiling, but her eyes were confused, the smile fading.

"You're not shouting," she pouted, trying to make herself laugh. If she laughed then it was okay, she got away from the heartache, her constant emotional and psychological chaos.

"No, I'm not," Reid agreed, not quite knowing what else to say to that.

"The others shout – it's funny!" she exclaimed, still peering up at him from her position on the floor. Reid grimaced: she looked like a young child, not like the almost seventeen year old she actually was.

"This isn't funny, Ryanne. I'm not going to shout, because this isn't funny. Please, Ryanne, please, help me and help yourself. I'm going to keep you safe, I promise, no matter what happens, I will keep you safe. Richard or anyone else will never hurt, I swear on my life. But I can't protect you from yourself, honey, only you can do that. So help me out. Stop this, and help yourself."

Ryanne watched him, not knowing what to do. It wasn't fair – he wasn't being funny. He was being... serious. There was a strong part of her that agreed with him, that wanted to sit and cry, but then there was that small voice in her head telling her that she was stuck, she was alone, and she would be. And the only way to live with that voice was to laugh, laugh loudly. Laugh as the world tears around you.

"Reid," she whimpered, stretching out her hand. Reid felt his heart clench when he couldn't reach her, when he couldn't grasp her hand.

When he didn't take her hand, Ryanne drew it back, holding it to her chest. She didn't want to cry, so she kept inhaling serrated breaths, her lungs jerking as she held back the torrent of tears that wanted to be unleashed. It hurt her eyes to hold them back but she didn't want to cry.

"Ryanne, please, Ryanne," Reid moaned, his voice thick with desperation. He struggled in his chair, but he wouldn't come loose.

"I'm sorry, Ryanne, I'm _so_ sorry..."

"S'okay," she mumbled through her hidden tears. "D'worry."

Feeling too frustrated and hurt to even think about Caleb, Reid sat back and let his eyes warp black, the heat of fire dragging the Power through his veins, letting it swarm and snake through his body, stretching right down to his fingertips, slicking through his legs and limbs. With a hushed sigh, he let the Power exhale from his skin, seep through his pores and into his surroundings. He felt it worm into the chains that bit into his hands, sensed it burrow into the chair, unleashing the ties around his feet.

His was _free_.

With a heavy inhale, he sucked back the Power into his body, throwing it carefully into a well placed box in his mind, one that kept the urge at be.

Within a second he was by Ryanne, his arms enveloping her, pulling her to his chest, his chin resting on her head. He rocked back and forwards, a soft hiss of soothing and reassurance slipping through his mouth. Ryanne sobbed onto his chest, her nails digging into his back as she held on for dear life, afraid that if she let go, she would fall back into the psychotic state of mind, a dark place that she didn't want to be.

"It's okay, honey," he whispered. "It's okay. I've got you, love, I won't let go. I won't let go."

* * *

"So, what are we going to do then?" Wayne asked, glancing at Daniela who was sitting, cross legged on a table, looking down. She was no longer hysterical, Tyler's whispered words in her ear soothing her out of her manic behaviour.

"We have to meet him," she said gently. "If we don't, he'll probably do something that we would rather he wouldn't. We just have to meet him... not alone or anything," she said when she saw the others about to protest. "We just need to tell him that we're not afraid of him, that he doesn't know what he's dealing with... because he doesn't, does he?" she asked the Sons, sensing their strong sense of... worth that they had. That were ready and willing to fight the stupid bastard with every bit of confidence they had. She didn't know why they felt that way, but knew that it would come in helpful. Much better having people who believed in themselves, than people who would turn around and scurry away to the nearest rock to hide behind with their knees knocking together.

"No, he fucking well doesn't," Pogue spat from beside his father, glancing at the closed door that hid Reid and Ryanne from sight. The Sons knew that Reid had Used, just not what for, but weren't going to say anything about it, not right now.

"We've got till tomorrow night to work out a way to get Reid out of here," Caleb said calmly, watching Daniela. She thought.

"I know what Jace said, but it's the only option: we're going to have to get Scar to be a witness."

"Yeah, but that will take too long," Tyler said. "We would need to go through the whole jurisdiction and have a court case and everything. That would take ages... we need to get him out now."

Silence.

_Ring_.

"Don't pick that up," Pogue warned as Wayne glanced at his phone that was flashing with an incoming call.

_Ring._

"If it is him he could have some answers," Nael added, and Daniela nodded as she glanced up at the scrutinising cameras.

"Pick it up. Put it on speaker."

_Ring_.

"Yes?"

"Ah, hello there, Mr Parry and everyone else. How are you all?"

"Cut the crap, Richard," Daniela warned wearily.

"Watch that mouth of yours," Richard cautioned. "Anyway, I saw you've been having some trouble with what to do next," he stated.

"Here are my instructions. Listen carefully, for I will not repeat them. First, tomorrow night at nine sharp, Daniela, Ryanne and Jace will make be at the Jackson & Son ltd warehouse. I will arrive at nine fifteen to ensure you are alone. We shall progress from there."

"But what about Reid?" Wayne asked on an impulse.

"Yes, what about that one... well, how about this: when you get to the warehouse and I've made sure that you're alone, I'll phone up the police and excuse my mistake, tell them I was terribly wrong and I'm very sorry. Must have gotten the wrong person, you see? Deal?"

Daniela swallowed, not knowing whether to accept. She knew it was the only immediate option she had, but she knew that it was very unlikely for Richard to hold to his promise.

"Okay, fine. We'll do it."

_Click._

The phone went dead.

"So, tomorrow night. You ready?" Daniela asked Jace, looking up at him. He cocked an eyebrow, before shaking his head.

"Honey, I've been ready for this day for years."

"Funny. I'd thought you say that."

She looked up to the cameras and smiled.

_Hope you're happy up there, dad. I know I am._

* * *

Quick update, eh? Yeah : Well, I had this from Scotland, so yeah :

Please review, you know you want to... deep, deep down!

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	35. I Think Therefore I Kill

**El Neneo; TaylorAlexandra; Fariy Lights; bigamericanflirt; angelgrl; mischieflover; MoonWolfRunner; PorcelainChaos**

You lot are, _like, _the best. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise cause I'll... I'll... set the Covenant on them! Yeah. I went there.

_.disclaimer._

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

* * *

**I Think Therefore I Kill**

* * *

It was a distressing and dismal reunion, but a reunion all the same.

Well, if you could call it a _reunion _– there wasn't a lot of people there.

It had taken a while for Jace, Pogue, Wayne and Daniela together to persuade a poignant Ryanne to leave the small town Ipswich police station, to leave Reid alone in the interrogation room, hands and feet bound to the metal table and chairs, his head hung, his eyes closed.

It wasn't like any of the others wished to do so either, not at all, but they had to depart, they had to come up with a plan in the safety of their own home. Every second, every thought, every word spent in the quiet station with busy police officers was picked up by the droning cameras that stalked their every movement.

What was even more infuriating – more for the Sons and those who shared the same secret, either on their behalf or from experience – was that it was perfectly feasible for their blonde haired brother to be out of the dank cell and in the comfort and safety of his flesh and blood – biologically or not.

But to Use, to call upon their seductive secret, especially when two of them had already ascended, was asking for more trouble than... well, not more than he was worth because it had been silently agreed that Reid was worth a hundredfold the trouble of risking temptation or a few months knocked off their lifetime, but more trouble than they could handle right at that moment in time. Trying to explain to the police of Reid's sudden and abrupt disappearance from a well-watched cell? No. Definitely _not_ what they needed on top of everything else.

Heading back to the Parry Mansion was not a thrilling journey. Two cars, both of them seemingly competing for the longest silence with the most words. Each lethargic raindrop that collapsed onto the windows of either cars observed the flurry of emotion that passed through the eyes of each individual. How could someone feel so much emotion at one time? It was hard to think straight, to even remember how to breathe without a thorough history lesson on how it was done before. It took them a few moments of leafing through stored memories to realise that they had to get out of the car once they had arrived at their destination.

As Wayne unlocked the front door, they were all met by three women and a sobbing toddler. Sarah, who held the child, was pleading with Ryanne, using her eyes, for her to take the redhead infant because everything she had tried to calm her down had clearly not worked. Kate launched herself at her boyfriend, pressing her beautiful yet weary face into his shoulder, inhaling the scent of leather, fresh sweat and a woody fragrance. She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his wet face into her mane of dark hair.

Reacting on instinct, Ryanne walked forward and carefully stole her daughter from Sarah, sending her a forced smile in thanks. Sarah frowned at her desolate expression and turned towards Caleb who's eyes were sad.

"It didn't go well, then?" she asked quietly, the question rhetorical.

"No," Ryanne breathed, holding back the urge to laugh. "No, it didn't." Sarah bowed her head before turning into Caleb, clutching him to her. It had been a long, _long _time since she had last held him.

"I'm just going to take Addyson to the kitchen," Ryanne informed them, her voice monotone. Jace stepped away from the crowd, quietly telling whoever was listening that he would join her.

"Oh, Ryanne," Pogue called just before she could dart off. She turned, waiting for him to speak. He flinched at the expression in her eyes, surprised to see such a raging anger, but continued on anyway.

"Why did Richard call you 'mummy'?"

He watched as she stopped, and sighed, shaking her head minutely. Jace, Daniela, Vesper and Nael looked between the two, anxiously frantic expressions on their faces, the level of said emotion varying between the four. Pogue waited.

Ryanne turned, a dim smile on her lips as she looked Pogue straight in the eye.

"I'm sure you can figure it out." Before Pogue could even think of a response she was away in the kitchen, Jace behind her and the door shut.

"Oh, come on dear, you're telling me that you never saw it before?" Anna laughed quietly from her casual position by the stairs, her eyes only on her son. She seemed tired, but relaxed, though the expression may have been forced.

"Sorry?"

"Isn't it obvious that Addyson is her daughter rather than her sister? Why had she never mentioned another sibling to you before? Why hadn't it been mentioned in the court or in the files? Because she doesn't have a sister, she has no other relations, blood or not." Anna ran a hand through her long blonde hair, pursing her lips as the others looked between each other.

Daniela tutted to herself, and Tyler looked down at her, a fusion of confusion and question blended in with his soft smile.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, sliding nearer to her as she shrugged.

"Nothing really."

"Is it because Ryanne's been outed?"

"What? Oh, no. Not at all. I agree with Anna actually. No, it was more what she said about the relations part..."

"Why?" She hesitated, sniffing as she thought. Her lips quirked up at one side as she leant forward, looking around at the others.

"Daniela?" Tyler stepped in front of her when he saw that she was going to move from her place beside him. He didn't like the fact that she seemed reluctant to clarify her thoughts to him; he wanted her to trust him. He trusted her.

"Why do you want to know so bad anyway?" she snapped, irritated all of a sudden. Tyler gazed at her for a few elongated seconds, frowning, his washed out blue eyes with the delicate swirl of ivory trying to catch her caramel truffle orbs.

"Because you're my other half, and I think I deserve to know if there's something wrong with a part of my body." Daniela's eyes immediately hustled to Tyler's, searching deep for the meaning behind his forward words. He smiled, almost happy that she seemed surprised and hopeful at the same time; he stepped forwards, forcing Daniela to take a step back so her back was against the staircase, their closeness now increased intensely. She swallowed, almost glaring up at him... she tried to seem unbothered, but couldn't.

_Damn him. Damn him and his beautiful eyes... _

"Which part of your body?" she breathed, her eyes flicking out to make sure no one was watching. Tyler brought up his hand, and pulled her chin towards him, his grip firm but the motion featherlike. 

Her made her look at him and forget everyone else. They were so close now, so impossibly close that Daniela imagined she could feel his heart beat, strong and dominant.

"My heart." The petite brunette felt her lips morph into an automatic smile at his response, and was surprised at how _happy _she felt all of a sudden.

"Hmm," she thought, teasing him. "Well... how about we talk tonight... later. Okay?" Tyler's eyes grinned, his lips a delicate combination of an adorable pout and a devious smile.

"Sure. Study?" It was the room from before, the room where they shared their first kiss together.

"I thought it was a living room?" Daniela replied mockingly, her smile sweet, her eyes mischievous.

"I really don't care what type of room it is, just as long as you're in it..."

"Don't you 'ave a way for words?" The two looked up, Tyler turning his head over his shoulder to see who had made the comment. He frowned – everyone else had gone into the dining room opposite the foyer, completely unaware of the couple's little encounter.

Daniela, on the other hand, let out a deep sigh, shaking her head. Tyler had missed it, but she had recognised the familiar London lilt.

As Tyler turned back to her, mumbling something about being rude, leaning forward to press his lips against her neck, Daniela looked up to the sky, begging that Vesper was gone... she was about to think something else but Tyler... well, he was just being distracting.

From across the hallway, behind the pillar, Vesper watched. She watched with tears in her eyes, fists clenched, heart aching. It was stupid really. Even though she had seen them before, knew of their relationship, she had still let herself believe. At night she had dreamt about Tyler, rushing in to sweep her off her feet, the two of them together, sharing secrets and kisses.

It was obvious now that she was nowhere on his mind.

It was obvious now that she was nowhereon _anyone's _mind.

Everyone had forgotten her, no one cared about her anymore.

"Poor little Ryanne," she whispered. "Poor little Daniela."

She knew she was being incredibly bitter and insensitive, and she immediately felt guilty at thinking such things, but she couldn't rid her heart and mind of that same pity-filled thought that if she disappeared right _now_, no one would be the wiser. They wouldn't even notice.

Someone would though, someone would notice. Maybe he would be nice to her, reward her for going to him... she wouldn't give them away, of course, but he would pay attention to her.

With a smile, Vesper slunk through the shadows, slipped through the foyer. With one last glance back over her shoulder at the ignorant couple, she put her hand on the door handle and turned it.

In a second, she was gone.

* * *

Her eyes were like headlights. Every time she threw her gaze onto someone else, they shivered, flinched, turned away. They had no answers for her.

She couldn't believe it, couldn't understand how none of them had any ideas, how none of them were doing anything. Did they not love him too? Did they not want him free?

A soft touch on her arm made her look up, her eyes dragging away from the faces of her silent companions. His deep dark eyes conveyed the meaning of _patience. _

"They don't know anymore than you do," he whispered, his knees gently bobbing to keep Addyson asleep; her little open fists were against his chest, her mouth open, her nose twitching in her slumber. Jace watched her with love and adoration, not believing that this beautiful angel was his.

A spark of doubt in his heart made him wince and Ryanne looked at him, alarmed. He shook off her concern with a smile and shake of his head.

"I don't see why you just can't go to the warehouse?" Anna said from the window, her figure doused in shadow, the sparse spotlight of the moon cutting through her hair.

"Anna," Wayne hissed.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, I don't mean like _that. _I just mean that it confirms a sure way of releasing Reid. Obviously, you're not going to let them go alone. The stupid brute won't be able to hold off all you of you, so there isn't any real reason to worry."

"Yeah, but mum, how can we be sure he will really do as he says and let Reid go free?"

"Well, do you have anything you can hold over him, anything he holds dear?" Everyone turned towards Ryanne, hoping for an answer. She thought.

They all saw that she had thought of something because of the pure look of revulsion that passed over her face. Ryanne looked up to Jace, but his eyes held the same mask of confusion as the others. _Oh yeah, _she thought. _He doesn't know. _

"Ryanne? What do you know?" Caleb asked.

"I... I... I can't. It's not fair."

"What's not fair?"

"Ryanne, if you know something, then it may be the only way to help Reid!" Pogue said softly, gently trying to persuade her. They locked eyes, the two siblings, and he poured as much certainty into his eyes as possible.

"I know, but... look, it's not up to me to decide."

"Who is it up to then?"

"Daniela."

* * *

The time came all too quickly.

Before anyone could perceive it, the time for when they had to make the slow journey down to the warehouse arrived.

It was a sullen moment, similar to that of before a funeral of a close loved one. But there was that frantic panic, the one that makes you hyperventilate and lose the ability to talk in coherent sentences.

You see, there had been a very loud argument before the departure. Pogue and Caleb had insisted that Sarah and Kate stay behind for their safety, but they had argued that more numbers were better (Sarah had pointed out in private that Richard was not a magical threat, so there was no high risk for them being in close proximity to him); Anna had demanded Wayne stay behind so he didn't get hurt, saying how he owed her this at the very least (he was just happy she had forgave him enough to actually be worried about him), and Ryanne had tried to persuade Jace that Addyson should go with them, her arguement being the exact same as any other time: 'but with me I know she is safe; if we leave her here, who knows what could happen, Richard could have some stupid thug waiting to take her, to use her as blackmail, she would be safer with me and _you _with her'.

"Look, what about this?" Pogue had said. "Dad, you stay with mum here. Kate and Sarah, you can come with us, but you must stay in the car and look after Addyson." Reluctantly, they agreed.

"I also think that anyone who isn't necessary should stay here to limit the amount of... damage that could happen," Daniela had said.

"Nael and Vesper?" Ryanne had guessed, and she nodded.

"Well, more V', that Nael but yeah," she had whispered back, and Ryanne had nodded, understanding. The girl was only fifteen, whereas Nael was eighteen. He could handle himself.

"Okay, fine," Pogue had said, getting slightly exasperated. "Nael, you stay here with Vesper."

It had been that Ryanne and Nael simultaneously had noticed that Vesper was nowhere to be found.

"Wait... where is she?"

That had sent the household into a frenzied search, calling out names, checking the security systems for any possible burglaries – maybe Richard had come to get her as blackmail, Caleb suggested.

"There is no record of anyone breaking in," Wayne reported back to the group. "She left of her own accord."

"What the fuck is she doing, running off like that?" Jace demanded angrily, though he was finding it hard to not rush out and search for her himself.

"I don't know, I don't know! What if something happens to her, Jace? What if she gets hurt? Oh, Vesper can't hurt, she's only fifteen, Jace, what if Richard finds her?" The blonde rubbed his hand up and down her arm, cooing gently in her ear like he used to do when they were younger. She calmed, but not by a lot. With a scowl, Jace realised he _kind of _wished Reid was with him, so he could calm her down himself. Though, if he was, this current, idiotic, imbecilic situation wouldn't be happening.

"Look, we've got to go, okay?" Pogue had said, his tone sharp and commanding, using his voice to tell everyone to mind their backchat.

That was how they got at the warehouse, three minutes to nine. It was lit up inside, but badly, broken walls creating beastly shadows against the debris-filled ground; smashed lanterns wobbles against the wind, their dull flames shivering from the cold.

Of course, though they had left in two cars, only one turned up at the warehouse. Another had taken a detour, hiding in the woods after taking the long way round so they couldn't be found by a spying Richard.

The disintegrated group wandered into the warehouse. Jace had his arm around Ryanne, who then in turn held Daniela's hand, the three of them linked, joined together, walking as one to face whatever Richard had install for them.

They stood in what was left as the main hall; brusque chalk lines had lead the way. As they waited in the dark, circled by small flickers of flame that danced to a synchronised ballet in the glass cages, they inspected their surroundings. They were gruesome and grotesque: rotting carcasses lay littered across the floor, small animals torn to death by scavenging birds and tiny insects in their thousands. Curtains of webs quivered against the walls, their shadows like lace against the cold, old stone; swarms of spiders crawled across the silk mesh, dancing across the thin limbs of sticky thread. Rats raced across the floor, scuffling into the dead corpses, their rodent twittering echoing against the crumbling partitions. Bats swung from the last part of ceiling that remained, precariously hanging from tiny claws, occasionally squeaking in their slumber.

He turned up at exactly nine fifteen. There was no car, no obvious sign of transport except for on foot. They waited in silence, subconsciously squeezing the grip they had on one another, their backs to the hall opening. To turn around would show fear... but would remaining show foolishness?

The footsteps grew louder as they grew nearer. Sometimes, it even sounded like there were _two _sets of footsteps, though immediately afterwards they were positive there was only one.

The repetitive falls of feet entered the dying chamber, walking around the side of them. Ryanne shivered as they were passed, a dark shadow splashing across their pale faces.

They watched as he turned around and took of his thick coat. A large smile spread across his face.

"Welcome, so glad you could make it. How about a hug from your step daddy, eh Ryanne? Or one from your actual daddy, eh Dani? You can have one too, Jacey, seeing as we are practically family now. No? That's a shame. Oh, well, let's get on to business now, shall we?" His tone was polite, cheerful, as if he could not see the waves of hostility and hatred that rolled from the trio of teenagers before him.

"So, first things first, this Garwin boy. Well, I made a promise, so here we go." He pulled out a plain looking mobile phone from his shirt pocket and held down a button.

"Speed dial," he explained happily.

"Oh, yes, hello. I would like to make a call about the arrest of Reid Garwin? Yes, well, I do sincerely apologise, but I have to admit, I was a bit of an old fool and made a mistake. Yes, it was Reid _Garsen, _not Garwin. Yes, yes, I know how bad this is... yes. Okay, yes, thank you. Once again I am very sorry – Garsen, not Garwin. Okay, yes, goodbye. Yes, goodbye." He shut the phone with a snap, and tucked it carefully back into his pocket.

"I am a man of my word, my dears." Despite the situation, Ryanne felt a huge relief, a weight being lifted of her heart now that she knew Reid was safe.

"Anyway, back to more serious matters... where shall we start, eh?"

"How about with your fucking death, you sick bastard!" Jace spat, his body tensing as he imagined beating the crap out of the older man in front of him. His muscles quivered, and Ryanne held onto him tighter. Richard laughed loudly.

"Why did you have to ruin it, eh Jacey? Well, I did think you in particular might have this overreaction, so I was thinking about getting some compensation. Luckily for me, it arrived without me having to do anything. Fortunate right? Hah," he laughed heartily, adjusting the cufflinks on his sleeves.

"Compensation?" Ryanne repeated, a cold dread going through her, already fearing the answer.

"Yes. You see, I know that you wouldn't be too happy about our meeting, so I've got a little brunette lying unconscious in the back of my car. Now, you see this?" He pulled out a small trinket, similar to a keychain except for it had wires wrapped around it, sellotape stuck to it.

"You see this little button here?" He held it up so they could see. "If I press this, then your little friend goes boom. If I don't she doesn't okay?"

"You fucking wanker!" Daniela spat, lurching forwards; Ryanne tugged her back, fearing that Richard would press the button. The older man laughed.

"Now, now, now," he scolded playfully. "That's not good manners. Did I never bring you up right, Dani?"

"Fuck no! Nothing you did was right, Richard! You barely brought me up at all!" A dark cloud passed over Richard's expression, but he quickly shrugged it off.

"Oh well. I had fun. That's what counts." Daniela went to answer, but Ryanne shushed her, not wanting to anger him.

"Now, first of all, Jacey, I want you to take this." Richard chucked a coil of rope down at the blonde's feet. "I will need you to tie up the redhead for me. Daniela, you'll be coming with me. Hah, no pun intended." He motioned with his finger, waiting for the three to follow his instructions.

"Do it," Daniela said softly. "We have to."

"No," Jace protested.

"They'll come save us," Ryanne whispered.

"He'll kill Vesper otherwise." With a sour look of pure venom, Jace picked up the rope and turned towards Ryanne. Daniela swallowed, and approached Richard who took her hand.

"Come on, my sweet, over here. That's it, you just stand there for a moment. Now, Jacey, you see that pillar there? Yeah? Well, tie her to it. Hands, feet, the lot. Go on, get to it." Richard waited, but Jace paused, trying to come up with a plan to get out of this.

_Click. _

"You hesitating, son?" Jace eyed up the gleaming handgun before kneeling down and kissing Ryanne on the forehead.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, before pressing her up against the pillar, gripping her hands together. Richard watched with sick, twisted satisfaction as Jace tied up Ryanne. He smiled. This was going better than he thought. He didn't think the boy would actually do it.

* * *

"I'm coming, hold on, I'm coming." Reid was running from the police station, searching for a place near that he could be safe from any prying eyes.

Hidden amongst the limbs of the trees that were knitted tight together, Reid closed his eyes and let his body relax. He breathed in the power, letting it inflate with his lungs, letting it suction through 

his veins, into his system. It ran smoother than blood, faster than adrenaline, sharper than pain, higher than heroine.

For a second, just a tiny second, he was overcome by the passionate urge to do whatever he wanted to, just because he could.

But then he remembered her face, her hair, her smell, her laugh.

"Ryanne," he whispered.

And then he was gone.

* * *

The tears were falling, just small spherical drops of hurt, as Jace lowered the executioner's hood over her head, not that it really mattered. She was already gagged, her eyes blinded by the white bandage that was wound round her head. Now sound was muffled, but it was the only helpful sense she really had.

She listened hard.

Jace stood up having finished his cruel duty, his face tight, strictly contained.

"Thanks, Jacey. Been a real pleasure."

He hadn't even turned around, hadn't even made the full rotation when he felt the agony tear through his chest. His body lurched backwards, his hands snapping up to apply pressure to the wound, his breath escaping him. He stumbled, falling against the pillar with a low thud, dusting falling down onto his head. His eyes were open, staring wide at the man who was watching him with a smile, his expression polite, and professional.

The stones dug into his back as he slid down the wall, his legs giving out beneath his dead weight. Blood spurted from between his fingers, each second dragging on, the agony searing through each cell in his body, each tiny vein that was within him. Breathing became difficult and his throat started to groan and squeak as he struggled to draw in breaths. His lungs bucked and jerked, the slight tear in them that was caused by bone fragments allowing warm blood to gurgle through.

A tickling in his throat made him cough, and a dark crimson bubbled over his lips, dripping down his chin and onto the floor, staining the dust red. The muscles in his throat kept constricting and relaxing uselessly, causing a strange clucking choking sound. He was starting to suffocate on his own blood, his own life turning traitorous against him. He was shaking, trying to recover some of the warmth he was rapidly losing, and his vision was fading.

He thought he heard his name, but he wasn't sure. The only thing he was sure of now was the pain, and the blackness that engulfed him.

* * *

Please please please review! Please. Pretty please. Look what I've done to poor Jace! :(

And seriously, you guys must get it now. Lots of clues there :)

**(L)**


	36. Old Habits Never Die

**El Neneo; Kali; Bigamericanflirt; Niffer01; hockeygrl125; MoonWolfRunner; jEaNs 'N' tEe GiRl; Fariy Lights; TaylorAlexandra; mischieflover. **

-

This chapter is co-written by the fabulous, one and only **_P_orcelain_C_haos** - so a huge thanks to her** (L)**

**-**

This chapter is rated 'M' for safety: contains adult themes - nothing too serious, just letting you know.

_.disclaimer._

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

* * *

**Old Habits Never Die**

* * *

The petite brunette couldn't suppress the sharp gasp that escaped her lips at the sound of the gun shot. It wasn't so much that gun itself... she was used to them... but where the bullet landed. If he was... then it meant anything could happen.

A wave of fear engulfed her so suddenly, it left her drowning.

Richard let out a cruel bark of laughter and turned towards her, even that slight movement dodgy and ominous. As she looked him dead in the eye, he advanced, stalking towards her, gripping her upper arms between his callous hands; he pushed her against the nearest 

wall without relent. Daniela shut her eyes and gave a small groan of pain as her back connected with the hard cement.

"Well, well, Dani, you sure have grown, haven't you." It came out more of a statement than a question, and for some strange reason, it made that much more sick.

"Fuck you, Richard," she managed to spit at him, despite the harsh tremors of fear coursing through her body. She tried to be strong, to give him the satisfaction of breaking her down... but as the seconds passed by, she felt herself falling back into the same dark hole she dug herself into all those years ago.

Old habits die hard, after all.

"Now, now, my love. Is that anyway to greet your dear ol' daddy? How about a kiss for everything I've done for you, eh?" As she opened her mouth to protest, to snap out some sharp remark, he cut her off by hungrily attacking her lips with his own; he showed no mercy as she shoved his slimy tongue past her cracked lips.

She managed to turn her head away and spit in disgust as the tears began to pool behind her eyes, her body convulsing against her will, against his hold. Richard took her face in his hand and made her face him, his other creeping up her thin cotton shirt to reach for her breast.

"I h-hate you," she stuttered. She could feel her tough and strong state of mind deteriorate beneath his biting fingers.

"Aw, Dani, don't cry now," he cooed insincerely; it only made her stomach churn. "Fight back," he demanded sadistically. He then 

leant in closer to her ear, his tongue snatching at her earlobe as he whispered, "I like it when you struggle."

It was then her mind went back. If she could just scream, then maybe the boys would come and save them, save her...

As if on cue, he covered her mouth with his dirty hand.

"You scream, she dies," he blew into her face, his putrid breath making her cringe as he pointed the gun towards Ryanne. Daniela instantly put any thoughts of making noise aside and accepted the torture he was sure to give her.

"Y'know, deary, I've always wanted an audience – haven't you?" he asked in an awful cheery tone. Not waiting – or needing – and answer, he dragged her by her hair to where Ryanne was tied up, Jace spluttering and shivering at her feet, the blood spilling across the floor. Richard kicked the boy out of the way, then with one hand, manoeuvred the blindfold over Ryanne's eyes, and threw it onto the ground. He peered deep into Ryanne's grey eyes before backhanding her roughly across the face.

"W-what's going on?" What are you _doing?" _she asked in a rushed tone, ignoring the stinging from the slap. Daniela could see the fear and confusion roll off her in waves, and she shuddered against it.

"Just sit back and enjoy the show, lovey. We'll show you how it's done," he murmured gently in her face. Her eyes widened in sheer shock and horror as her mind registered the truth, the awful, dreadful truth.

"No! Richard, you bastard! Leave her _alone! _You sick, pathetic piece of crap!" Her vulgar words thrown at him in desperation were ignored as Richard hauled Daniela back to the other side of the room and threw her onto the floor. She could feel the small trickle of blood fall down her neck, and her vision began to blur.

_Already. _

He quickly undressed himself and ran his rough hand down her front side.

"Oh God, Dani. You have no idea what you do to me," he groaned out. She could feel how disgustingly turned on he was by her, and that was enough to make her want to vomit; her throat constricted.

"My, my, how you've _grown,_" he panted out as he lay sloppy, wet, horrible kisses down her neck and collarbone. She felt him tear off her shirt, and attack her chest his with his greedy, animalistic lips.

She had spent years building up the strength to forget about their previous encounters, but it still felt exactly the same. The same dirty hands making their way up her stomach to cup her matured breasts; the same cruel eyes watching in amusement as the silent tears rolled down her face as she started into Ryanne's horrified gaze, both unable to look away.

It was exactly the same. Nothing had changed. _I'm still the pathetic little girl who doesn't know how to protect herself, _she thought bitterly. She stayed absolutely still, hoping that he'd just get it over with and leave her alone. She didn't need this again; she just couldn't handle it this time round.

Daniela had never quite understood why her own father did this to her. She had always loved him, up until the _games _he forced her to play as a child. In that moment she wondered, _did he ever love me?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt his hands roughly spread her tightly crossed legs apart, and then proceed to unbutton her jeans, pulling them down her legs along with her panties.

She couldn't feel anything. She was numb – or at least, she pretended to be, because she if she really was numb, she wouldn't have to feel any of this, any of his sick torture. She would rather be emotionless that to go through all the pain she had locked away unsuccessfully in her heart.

There she was. Completely naked in front of her malicious, sadistic and perverted father, and she couldn't do a damn thing about it. He was touching her, but she just blocked the feelings out of her mind. She looked at the ceiling, at the walls, but then once again settled on Ryanne's face.

The tears came faster as she felt him forcefully enter her, and saw Ryanne scream out in horror. She couldn't hear her though. It was like a silent film playing before her eyes. Ryanne. She was screaming. God knows what, but she was screaming. That she was sure of.

_I'm doing good, _Daniela thought. _Just focus on something other than him, anything else. Anything. It's going to be okay. It is. It's okay. Block him out. It'll be over soon... please let it be over soon. _

A forceful blow to her head ruined the fantasy she had escaped to. She could feel it all now.

_No! No! Block it out! Block it out, you pathetic, weak little girl! _she mentally chided herself. But she just couldn't seem to block any of it out. Richard's grunts and moans in her ear; Ryanne's screams, all mixed in with her own thoughts kept her there, kept her under his grasp, under his sweaty body. She had never felt so dirty or alone.

The pain became unbearable, and she could feel the sticky blood running down her legs. He showed no mercy and never seemed to slow his act down. The sharp stinging throb coursed its way through her entire body with every violent thrust, and it hurt so much she couldn't even scream.

All she could do was look at Ryanne and weep. It reminded her all too much of Richard's late night visits to her room when she was just a little girl. How he'd do the exact same thing he was doing to her now, when she was _just a little girl, _when she was only six years old. She had known he was doing something wrong. No matter how young she was, deep down in her heart and soul, she knew what he was doing wasn't right, wasn't how daddy's were supposed to be. That he was a bad person. From then, she was never the same again.

Daniela was brought of her painful reverie when Richard was abruptly thrown off her and blasted into the same wall she had been thrown into. She didn't know, nor care how he was thrown off her – she just cared that he was no longer on top of her.

It was then that she let herself go. She curled up into a ball, wrapped her shaking arms around her naked, bloody body and sobbed.

* * *

She wanted the blindfold back on. She wanted to be blind again. And deaf. Anything to block out what she was seeing.

Jace was at her feet, the unsteady pulse of the thick crimson slowly decreasing. He was dying, she knew it.

Yet, that wasn't what scared her the most.

When Richard had revealed the situation to her, she wanted to run. To run and scream and never look back. It was surreal, impossible... how someone could do that to their daughter...

Ryanne met eyes with Daniela, and she saw the flux of emotion beating in her chocolate orbs. She saw how her friend, her sister, tried to be strong, to keep it together, but then the wall came crumbling down, smashing everything it touched.

His vile form swayed to a fast tempo against Daniela's petite form; her hands clawed at the ground subconsciously, desperate to get away, but there was nothing. No salvation, no hope. Just nothing.

She couldn't even remember opening her mouth to scream, there was just the sudden keening of pain and desperation that tore through the ancient room that watched on with blank pity.

It took her a while to realise she was calling _his_ name, screaming for _him_ into the heavens. She just needed him, needed him more than anything. The sound was sharp against her throat, but she ignored the fiery ache, not caring about herself anymore.

She had been screaming for so long – _so _long – and with each passing second, with each empty glance into Daniela's blurry eyes, she felt the hope diminish within her. There was no way out of this. She was made to endure the sick torture against her friend, whilst her other died at her feet. And it was _all_ her doing.

She didn't stop screaming.

Not even when she saw him race through into the room, a vivid look of anger and repulsion on his beautiful face. For that split second, she stopped screaming, just so she could gaze at his angel's visage.

Then she screamed.

"Reid!" His body whipped around to her. "Help Daniela! Help Daniela!" she pleaded, pulling against her tight restraints. "For fuck sake, help _Daniela!" _

It was then that she watched as Richard's body was lifted up off his only daughter, and thrown into the hard brick wall a metre or so away. Ryanne gasped from the sight of it, and her gaze scrabbled around to search for her blonde lover, thinking that maybe it was he who had managed to accomplish such an impossible feat.

But no. Reid hadn't done anything. He had been too late.

It had been Tyler, the boy now crouching over the sobbing form of Daniela who whimpered and wailed in her agony and heartbreak. Ryanne heard nothing, but saw his lips move as he offered shaky words of comfort. The brunette boy pulled off his shirt and lifted Daniela onto his lap, ignoring her shudders. With ease, he wrapped the material around her body, the length of it easily passing her thighs, then he picked up off the ground, cradling her in his arms.

Daniela immediately dug her nails into her saviour's back as she gripped him, daring him to leave her, to abandon her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry..."

Ryanne watched, her breathing heavy as Tyler exited the room, a broken Daniela in his arms. At first she was scared, needing to be with her friend, but then she realised that Daniela could be in no safer place. She just hoped Daniela knew that.

Movement caught her eye and she turned her head slowly, sluggishly, towards Reid as she bent over her, crouching beside Jace. He cast a quick glance at the fallen blonde, but his full attention was on Ryanne; his fingers darted around with her restraints, but within a second, he was fed up, and his eyes flashed onyx, burning away the rope.

Ryanne wasted no time as she threw her arms around the blonde angel's neck, pressing her wet and dirty face into his chest.

"Oh, God," she breathed, sucking in the oxygen. "Oh, _God." _

"I've got you, love," he whispered, hugging her to his chest. "I've got you." He lifted her to her feet, but when she wobbled, he instantly picked her up into his secure arms, preferring it that way anyway. Ryanne tried to smile, but found the gesture no longer existed in her memory.

Caleb and Pogue rushed in, their eyes on her; Ryanne didn't want to see their pitied looks, so turned her face into Reid's strong chest, using her shoulders to block their forms.

"Jace's been shot," Reid informed them dryly. "Get him out." Ryanne didn't see their reactions, and didn't care. She heard a groan from Jace, and knew that had him. Pogue would save him, she was sure. She didn't need to worry any more.

_Hah. _

Tyler' s Hummer was now parked conveniently right outside the abandoned warehouse, and he was sitting in the passenger seat, his arms wrapped around a quivering blanket. Daniela was in there somewhere, but no part of her body was visible. Ryanne felt her heart clench and turned away, not wanting to throw up onto Reid's shirt.

"It's over," she whispered to herself. "It's over."

It was stupid to think such a thing. So say out loud was idiocy at its worst. She should have known better. She should have known _better. _

"Where do you think you're going?" Reid pivoted swiftly to stare at the dust and dirt covered adult as he stumbled from the room. He coughed, and pawed at a large bloodied wound on his forehead, then laughed, the sound manic and hysterical.

"You think that's it?" he shouted. "You will never beat me," he claimed loudly, opening up his arms as if to welcome them all.

Ryanne felt Reid's muscles clench, but he didn't approach the older man, the girl in his arms too high a priority. Instead, he let his eyes flash black, intent on thrusting the man away a few feet.

What he didn't know, was that the other three had the exact same thoughts.

Richard flew across the ground, missed the entrance by about three centimetres, and instead met the thick wall reinforced with steel. There was a dull snap, and then his body fell to the floor.

Without another thought, the group headed towards the Hummer, Tyler's still black eyes watching their approach.

"You will _never_ beat me!" he screamed into the night, the sound laced with pain and insanity. Ryanne's eyes were on the moving bundle of cloth as Daniela peered out, their gazes connecting.

"You missed something!" Richard informed them, and in that instant, the girl's eyes widened in horror. Daniela lurched forward, trying to scramble out of the car, ignoring the untainted agony that ripped at her body; Ryanne squirmed out of Reid's embrace, whirling towards Richard who was holding some small object up to the sky.

"_NO!" _the girls screamed in unison, the shriek echoing through the night. They ran together towards the delirious man, not seeing or hearing the yells of the boys chasing after them.

"Say goodnight," Richard cooed sweetly, before pressing his thumb into the object.

_Bang. _

The explosion rippled through the air, shredding the atmosphere to pieces, ripping away at anything it came into contact with.

"_NO!" _the girls screamed again, this time in disbelief. They simultaneously turned towards the explosion, and they saw the burning debris and shrapnel pour into the sky before smacking down hard into the earth. Their bodies fell constantly, the pain sometimes too much for them, but they kept getting up, kept getting to their feet, throwing themselves towards the dimming fire.

Strong arms wrapped around their waists just metres before the reached the wreck, restraining them.

"No! Please let us go," they pleaded desperately, their fingers fighting against the boys' strong holds.

"Vesper's in there! Vesper's in there!" they screamed as one, thrusting their bodies forwards against the constricting grips. Shocked, the Sons let go, and the girls fall to the ground; they start to crawl towards the wreckage, using sheer will to stay awake. The smoke attacked their faces and lungs, heated metal plunging into their skin, but they felt nothing. Just emotional pain that tore them inside out.

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry," Ryanne cried as they knelt by the remains of the car, her words a tearful mantra. "I'm so sorry, baby, I'm so sorry!"

"Please, come back, please, don't leave us, don't let him win, don't him win again!" Daniela sobbed, her nails digging into the earth, her face against the ground as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"He's won," Daniela told the world. "He's won again!"

"He'll always win," Ryanne added. "He'll never stop."

Together, they spoke as one.

"_He'll always win."_

* * *

Hmm. How cruel am I then?

Review - you can tell me how much you hate me, love me, or just aren't too bothered :)

Remember to thank PorcelainChaos :)

**(L)**


	37. Every Road Leads To Death

**Mikii-Imperfectionist; TaylorAlexandra; mischieflover; hockeygrl125; Evil Little Chaotic Angel; Nifer01; Violi; El Neneo; Rukie; Fariy Lights; NiennaFaelivirn **and of course, the _fabulous _**PorcelainChaos.**

It's scary to think how close this is to finishing! Only a few more chapters! It's horrifying :)

Oh, I apologise for major spelling/grammar mistakes in this - I started this chapter a few days ago, and started to finish this at about 11 at night, and it is now 18 past 4 in the morning. And I've got to wake up at 7 in the morning for my new puppy. Yeah. Do you see how much I love you guys?

_.disclaimer._

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden_**L**_ace

* * *

**Every Road Leads To Death**

* * *

The water burned her flesh, but she wanted it that way.

Her nails dug into her flesh, ripping away the skin, but she wanted it that way.

Anything to get rid of the dirt.

Daniela didn't know how long she had been sitting there in the shower, still in her clothes, her knees up at her chest, the searing water hitting her sopping hair and spraying down her body, each drop a sharp stab of pain; she scrubbed at her arms, her legs, her face, but she couldn't get rid of the dirt.

No matter how much soap she threw onto the cloth, the black and red smudges glared up at her mockingly, refusing to be washed away. Now she forgot the cloth, throwing the useless thing to the side, and instead scratched at her skin, using her long nails to rip away the filth.

But it wouldn't wash away.

Her broken sob echoed through the empty bathroom, the heart-wrenching sound hitting the tiles and bouncing back at her, truly mirroring her pain. She threw her head back against the wall of the shower; she felt the pain, but it didn't register. Nothing could compare with the agony, the torture she felt inside. Nothing could erase the anguish that gripped her heart, the suffering that broke through her mind. Nothing could console her broken body, her shattered strength or her woeful will that just wanted to give up.

_Nothing_ made sense anymore.

How could she bear to look at them, any of them ever again? Reid, Ryanne, _Tyler? _They saw her for what she really was: a weak, stupid pathetic child who deserved everything she got.

And the _pity!_ It made her sick to the stomach to see the look in their eyes when she happened to glance at their faces: such sympathy, such commiseration. It was disgusting. She didn't deserve their _pity. _She didn't deserve anything.

Except what Richard did to her.

That, she knew, she deserved more than anything.

It was so stupid to think that she had once loved him. That she still loved him. He was her father. He made her. He broke her. But he was still her father.

She was definitely a daddy's girl.

And none of them would ever understand. They didn't know that it wasn't a onetime thing, something that was sick and twisted, but Tthey did think it was something they... _she_... could get over.

_Never. _

Only one person knew. Only one person in the whole world knew the truth. One person she could rely on being there for her, for saying and doing the right things. One person who would shove the pity, because she understood. 

One person who felt the same way – though Daniela knew she shouldn't. Ryanne didn't deserve any of this. She was the one person who didn't.

And she was the one person she couldn't be around. The person that she couldn't face, couldn't be anywhere near. It was too shameful, too embarrassing. She had seen at point-blank the truth of who she really was. She never wanted to face up to the sick infamy. She didn't want to _ever_ be near her again.

Except she was nearer than she thought.

* * *

_Give up my way, and lose myself_

_Not today_

_That's just too much guilt to pay_

_Sickened in the sun_

_You dare tell me that you love me_

_But you held me down and screamed you wanted me to die_

_And honey you know,_

_You know I'd never hurt you that way..._

_Just get through this day_

* * *

Unbeknownst to Daniela, Ryanne was sitting behind the wall that Daniela was facing, listening to the sobs and the wails. The redhead was clutching at her chest, her own tears slipping down her cheeks, though she was weeping in silence, and her pain wasn't for her.

It had really messed with her head seeing what she had seen. Anytime Reid touched her, she flinched, thinking about Daniela and her step-father. It was selfish, really. If _she_ was feeling bad, what about Daniela? Ryanne had barely been touched, but Daniela had been raped. Beaten and kicked, thrown and hit.

Ryanne sighed. This was all so stupid. All so surreal. Each passing second was drawn out, lasting a lifetime. No one did anything, no one knew what to do. It was like a veil had been spread over them all, slowing them all down, making them all just stop and think.

And Vesper.

The new tears spilled from Ryanne's eyes as soon as she thought of her friend, of her sister. She still couldn't believe that she was... gone. Forever. Never coming back.

She had been the one to tell Nael the devastating news. She could hear him now, the deep sobs as he had broken down, crying over the death of his love. It was only then that he had admitted to his love for the young girl, how his heart had grown with her but he had kept it secret because of their age difference, because he didn't want to ruin what they'd had already. He had been going to tell her when Vesper came back, but now... now she would never know how he felt.

How could someone so soft, so pure like Vesper be killed so viciously? Ryanne just hoped she didn't feel any pain. It would make it so much worse if she felt pain.

The only _good _thing about this was that at least Vesper was away from all of this, free from all this pain and destruction. She was safe now, happy, loved.

It was bad enough she had to deal with her own pain, her own hatred and antipathy towards herself, as well as try to understand Daniela's, but Reid, her blonde angel... so much anger he had for himself, so much self-hate that tore away at him. Whenever Ryanne would flinch, or cry, or just sit there, he would get angry at himself, cursing himself, hating himself. And it wasn't just Reid, it was all of the Sons. The house was filled with guilt and pain, the air so thick with emotion that wouldn't go away. They were drowning in it, finding it hard to breath, to smile, to laugh.

This was the first time Ryanne had been away from Addyson; she found it so difficult to even look away from her baby's face, fearing that as soon as she turned her back, she would be gone. Wayne had told them all that the police had gotten Richard, but she didn't trust the police, didn't trust that anyone could defeat Richard. It was impossible.

But Reid had her this time, and she knew that he would not let her go. He loved her just as much as she did, and she still couldn't believe it – that maybe now, of all times it was _now _that Addyson had a father. A proper one, a man that would take care of her, better than any father in the world. He wouldn't be a Richard to a Daniela, he wouldn't be his father to him, he would be Reid, the best dad a girl could ask for.

Reid was the only one that knew the truth. Ryanne had broken down and spoke from her heart, telling him everything, _everything. _Not even Tyler knew – Daniela refused to tell anyone anything.

It had been the night before, four days since _that day. _

* * *

_Stay with me_

_Don't fall asleep too soon_

_The angels can wait for a moment_

* * *

She couldn't stop crying. It had been hours, but still the tears came, each one sharing with the world - and with the blonde boy sitting on the bed beside her - her pain.

Reid didn't know what to do. He had never been in this situation before, not at all, not even close. Hell, he had barely been in a long-term relationship before, and definitely not one this intense, not one that took hold of him so suddenly, so abruptly.

When he ran into the warehouse and seen what he had seen, for one dreadful second he had thought that maybe that was Ryanne underneath the sick bastard; but then he had seen her, tied up and wide eyed in the corner – it was Daniela who was been raped. And then, for another dreadful second, he had been relieved.

Then guilty for even thinking such a thing.

He had felt the need to Use rise in him, but for once, it wasn't he who had triggered the urge. Tyler, standing beside him, was the one whose eyes blurred onyx, then threw the vile creature into the wall, revealing the sorry sight of a naked and bloody body. Reid had immediately averted his gaze, instead rushing to Ryanne despite her earlier demands to help her fallen friend.

They got the girls out of there, held them in their arms; Reid never wanted to let go, afraid that if he did, he would lose her forever. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't survive it.

When Ryanne had suddenly scrambled out of his embrace, his heart stopped for a second: it was like she wanted to get away from him – she, along with Daniela, was running _towards _Richard like their life depended on it.

They were screaming, and then Richard raised his hand and pressed a small object – which he later came to realise was a detonator – which then triggered the explosion not too far away. As the girls tore past the Covenant, they just stood still, not quite understanding.

"What have you done?" Tyler spat, throwing himself out of the car and towards the man; Caleb grabbed hold of his shoulder in restraint, though his grip wasn't that constricting. He wasn't fearful of his younger brother being hurt by his older man, but of Tyler's anger which would spur on his Power, as well as the others'.

The sadistic man laughed cruelly, blood bubbling over his lips as he shook his head, his body cringing from the pain of broken bones. He dangled the detonator for a few seconds, before letting it fall through his fingers.

"Just used my compensation," he muttered, before unconsciousness overcame him, taking him away temporarily from the world.

It was then Reid turned, whirling around to search for Ryanne; he could see the girls tripping and stumbling their way towards the burning wreck. In an instant he was racing after them, his foothold much more stable than theirs; he heard the three follow him, Tyler faster than the other two, his need to reach them just as high as Reid's.

They got there just before they could reach the sharp shrapnel, but the girls just twisted and turned, desperate to get away.

"Vesper's in there! Vesper's in there!" With the shock of realisation, their grip slackened, and the girls were able to get to the wreck, sobbing and keening into the night sky, admitting defeat, their natural defences folding against the unyielding stab of death.

It was only when the sirens wailed from a short distance signalling the police's arrival – Caleb had called them while they waited for the girl's to get up – did they finally decide to actively remove the girls, and their selves from the scene, feeling that the couple could not deal with questioning. And they needed to get Jace to hospital, despite the boys Using to slow down the process.

That night, with Jace in hospital, Wayne dancing around the phones trying to keep in contact with the police, Daniela locked in the bathroom, refusing to let anyone in, not even Tyler, Reid had put Addyson to bed, knowing he was being carefully watched by the beautiful redhead behind him. He kissed the girl's nose before pulling the light quilt over her tiny body, smoothing down her gorgeous locks; the infant giggled and twitched her nose before succumbing to slumber.

"Reid..." Her voice was a whimper, a whisper, and he barely heard it, but the word struck his heart subconsciously, and his body turned, feeling the need to comfort her, to rid the sound of agony the shone through her voice.

"I've got you, love, I've got you," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her tightly, pulling her onto his lap; she turned in his grasp so she could thrust her head into his shoulder, clutching tightly at his shirt and the skin beneath as she cried.

"I-I sho-shouldn't e-even b-be c-cry-crying," she stuttered through her weeping.

"It's okay to cry, love, it's okay to cry," he whispered, kissing just below her ear, his lips soft and delicate, fearing that he would remind her of her step-father.

"B-but he d-didn't d-do any-anything t-to m-me," she hiccupped.

"You're crying for her," and she nodded, the movement stiff and jerked. Reid stretched out her legs and wrapped them behind him, so he could embrace her properly, encompassing her tightly, protectively, possessively.

"How is s-she... h-how c-can I... I d-don't..." she was gasping for words, now basically hyperventilating, and he shushed her softly, rocking slightly as he rubbed her back, kissing her jaw line deftly.

"I can't b-believe... I mean... to h-his own d-daughter... I kn-knew he di-id _that... _b-but how c-could he s-sink so l-low?" Her voice now held a slight tinge of anger and disbelief, though it was practically submerged beneath the emotional flux of pain.

"His dau... you _knew?" _Reid repeated, incredulous. "And you didn't say anything?" Immediately he knew he had said the wrong thing because Ryanne started to whimper and shake, trying to retract from him, throwing her head left and right in furious denial.

"I s-_said _b-but she did-didn't _want _t-to..." Reid instantly caught hold of her again, rubbing her back, smoothing down her hair that was slightly damp from the sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"It's okay, it's okay," he tried to reassure, but he had already done the damage, voiced some very obvious internal accusations.

"N-no, it's n_-not! _Y-you're right, I-I should h-have said s-_something!" _Reid shook his head, making sure she could feel the motion.

"Sometimes you're bound by loyalty; no matter how bad you want to tell, no matter how scared or angry you are, you will never say anything because that person, that person whose secret it is, told you not to. And you would rather die than betray that trust."

Finally he had said the right thing, and Ryanne slunk back into his arms, slumping in his grip, though her body still shook from the sobs and whimpers. Reid let out a sigh, then sucked it right back in as a dreadful thought passed through his mind.

"Did... did Richard ever do that to _you?" _Time stretched on dangerously, his heart on the cusp of stalling as he held his breath waiting for her answer. He could feel his fists tightening as he apprehended her reply, ready to head down to the police station and _sentence _the bastard his self.

"...R-Reid..."

"What did he _do_?"

"He... he... Reid, I can't... I d-don't know how..." She teared up again, though this time it wasn't full out sobs, just shudders with accompanying droplets of grief. Reid sighed, trying to control his temper, knowing that would only worsen things.

"You told me before that he would abuse you physically, emotionally, mentally. You said that once Richard... afterwards, Daniela ran but you couldn't. And I heard... I heard when you were arguing with Jace what you said... about your mother..." Ryanne hissed in a sharp breath, tightening in his arms.

"I think I knew already, the signs were all there... but hearing you say it... I don't know..."

"It makes it real when you say it," Ryanne whispered, pulling her legs away from Reid's waist and up to her chest, curling up into a ball on his lap; he held her and rocked her, leaning against the headboard.

"And what Jace said... the things that he'd had to do, had to see, the things that I never had to experience..." He couldn't find the right words, struggling with saying the right thing; he'd never been really good at saying the right thing in this kind of situation, especially when anger wasn't allowed.

Though, this situation outranked his entire _life._

"That doesn't change anything, Reid," Ryanne assured him, fearing that he would side with Jace and leave her; she clung to him desperately refusing to let go, the tears now falling silently, only accentuating by harsh inhales of sharp breath.

"Yes, it does," he countered, but then sighed, sensing her fear. "Ryanne... the things that you've been through... the things that Daniela, Jace... Vesper... the things you've _all _been through... you will never know how sorry and _angry _I am at myself for never... for never understanding."

"What do you mean?" she asked timidly, peering up at him through her wet eyelashes, diamonds of tears clinging to them precariously.

"When I first met you, I didn't believe you... I thought you were a fraud. A gold-digger even, searching for a way to pity your way into the money. But then... at your apartment... in your eyes... I knew I was wrong. I knew you were different." He sighed, kissing her forehead and finally, _finally, _let the words spill from his heart.

"Ryanne, I am so ashamed that I was never there to protect you from everything, anything that ever threatened you, but I'm here now, and I promise that I will always protect you and keep you safe. I don't pity you, Ryanne, I respect you. I admire you. You are the strongest person I've _ever _met, and I feel inferior in your midst. I love you, Ryanne Valentine. I love with you with everything I have. I know I can't give you much, but I offer you my home, my love, my protection and my heart. I hope more than anything in this world that that is enough."

Ryanne felt the tears spark at her eyes again, but this time for a whole new reason. Never before in her life, not even with Jace, had she felt so loved, so safe, so whole. _Free. _Breathing in his scent, looking into his beautiful blue eyes, being held by his arms... it was like a drug, but a clean, deep, fresh addiction. It was as if she was bleeding and wounded, but every time she saw him, it healed a bit more. She knew, in time, she would be healed completely.

And it was all because of him.

"Reid," she breathed. "Reid. All I would ever need from you is a passing glance, a swift touch or a brush of your lips and it would last for a hundred lifetimes, and be more than I ever deserved. Each time your fingers touch my skin, each time your eyes catch mine, it feels like I've been holding my breath but now I can breathe again."

Reid abruptly rolled over, so Ryanne was lying on the bed on her back with him leaning over her, his elbow holding him up; he gazed deep into her stormy eyes, searching through her mind, heart and soul. Not letting her gaze go until absolutely necessary, he reached down to plant a rich kiss onto her throat, his mouth open as he inhaled her scent, his lips soft against her pulse. Ryanne's breathing was rough, shaky as she dug her nails into his back, digging them into the flesh out of habit.

"Don't leave me," she breathed. "Don't ever leave me."

"You're my everything, my always, my forever and my life. There's no way I'm letting you go now."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

_Velvet burns the wrists while restraining_

_You blushed and smiled and said you would stay_

* * *

Ryanne jumped as the door opened, revealing a dishevelled and exhausted looking Tyler. He threw her a hesitant smile, one that she struggled to return. The blue-eyed brunette entered the bathroom, and pulled the girl to her feet with a secure hand.

As soon as she was on her feet, Ryanne put her arms around Tyler's neck, hugging him fiercely; Tyler was taken aback by this sudden and unexpected show of affection, but returned the embrace after a second. He could feel the girl's tears on his cheek, but said nothing, just breathed in and out as he held the younger girl that he now realised was the perfect little sister for him.

Ryanne pulled away, a watery, sad smile on her lips, and sighed; Tyler put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, before letting her leave the room, closing the door silently behind her.

_This is it, _he thought. _This is when you face her fears. _

He stepped around the corner, peering into the steamy shower. The glass doors were obscured, so he gently slid one of them open, frowning when he didn't immediately see anyone in there.

"_Go away!" _Tyler's cerulean eyes jumped down to where the harsh hiss of words had originated from and felt his heart wilt when he saw Daniela, huddled up against the wall, soaking in her clothes, makeup streaming down her face.

"Oh, baby," he whispered before stepping into the shower, shutting the door behind him. Daniela refused to look up at him directly, but watched him through her peripheral vision as he observed her silently for a short moment before sliding down the wall to sit opposite her, his hands leaning loosely on his knees.

"Don't," she demanded after another flow of thick tension.

"Don't what?" Tyler asked calmly, his lead heant back so he was looking at her through half-closed lids. Daniela glanced up at hearing his tone, and immediately looked back down, not wanting to look him in the eye.

_Too shameful._

"Don't look at me like that," she whispered, the roaring splash of the shower almost snapping away her sad words.

"Like what?"

"Like you _pity _me. I don't want... nor need your pity."

"I don't pity you," Tyler said matter-of-factly, and Daniela's shot up again out of shock.

"What? You don't..."

"Pity is a heavy, deceitful, disrespectful and time-wasting emotion. I don't see the point, nor the urge for pity to be perfectly honest. The only people who ever truly deserve your pity, _don't want... nor need your pity_, and the people that do want it, don't deserve it. See? Waste of time."

Daniela's lips curved up slightly as she dipped her head so her expression was oblivious to him; Tyler cocked his head, trying to read her through his sad, curious and narrowed eyes.

"You can't get clean, can you?" he asked, and again, Daniela's head whipped up, her eyes wide in her disbelief – _how did he know these things?_

"N-no..."

"Hmm." He said nothing else, but pushed himself up onto his knees, and grabbed the soap; Daniela flinched slightly as Tyler's fingers brushed her arms, but then she immediately sunk into his touch, letting him drag her gently to him. He turned her around so her back was against his chest, her position still tightly curled up.

Tyler grimaced as he saw the ugly, angry red welts on her arms from her own hands, her own nails, but said nothing. Instead he rubbed some soap onto his hands, then gently – ever so gently – massaged it into her beautiful olive-toned skin. Daniela watched his hand in pure amazement, surprised that her body wasn't revolting against him, against herself. She shivered as his fingertips brushed the silky soap across her skin, letting it soak up the dirt, but the shiver was of intensity rather than horror or disgust.

Tyler lathered one arm after a few minutes, his motions slow and careful, and then went onto the next one. Soon her shoulders, back, neck, face, stomach and legs were covered in the softly fragranced soap, the white tiny bubbles kissing her gorgeous complexion.

Then, he angled the shower head so the water fell down onto both of them, the searing hot water scolding through their clothes, scoffing at the measly protection. Again, his movements cautious and calm, he cupped the water in his hands, then started to wipe away the soap, his fingertips massaging her muscles.

Daniela watched in sheer disbelief as she saw the dirt wash away, swirling around the plughole innocently, like it had never been there in the first place, just a hallucination her mind had conjured up. Her wide chocolate eyes watched as the thick coating of muck, filth and dirt crept off her skin, letting her dark golden brown colouring show through.

"I'm... I'm clean," she whispered as the last bubble washed away, sucked down through the plug. Tyler smiled, but said nothing, not needing to.

"You did it. I couldn't... it wouldn't go away... but you did it..." This time Tyler reached up, letting his fingers softly dance across her neck and cheek, tracing her full lips, his thumbs trailing her cheek bones. He buried his face into her wet locks and inhaled deeply, letting that beautiful smell wash over him like a breeze on a hot day. He then lifted his face to the heavens, eyes closed as the water hit his face, and smiled. When he looked back down, he spoke.

"Daniela," he murmured. "Anything. I'll do _anything _for you." Daniela swallowed, squeezing her eyes closed tight, biting her lip as she leaned into his hands.

"You've already done everything for me," she breathed, and Tyler smiled lazily, once again brushing his lips across cheek. "You don't need to do anymore."

"But then what's my point in life? Why carry on living if the one thing I supposed to do is no longer necessary?" Daniela's breathing hitched.

"The one thing?"

"If I try to sleep without seeing you, I can't. If I try to smell something like a flower without taking in the fragrance of your hair, of your throat, of _you_, then I smell nothing. If I try to live without making sure you are too, then I can't. Without you I can't sleep, I can't smell, I can't live."

Daniela shook her head, not believing this – how could this be true? How could someone like her deserve this, have this? Why did someone love her? Why had she, out of all the people in the world, been granted the beautiful and rare gift of something as precious and breath-taking as reciprocated love?

"You saved me, Tyler," she whispered. "You saved my life. And you get what you keep. You have my life now."

"I'll never lose it. I'll never lose you."

* * *

Her stormy grey-green eyes snatched up his gaze instantly.

"You'll come with me, won't you?" she asked, and Reid rolled his eyes at her naivety.

"Of course I will, love. Of course I will." Ryanne smiled, but it didn't entirely reach her eyes, nor her hand which were still trembling. The phone sat discarded in front of her, wobbling from when she had dropped it, the batteries spilling out of the back like the blood from Jace's wound, or the fear from Daniela's eyes or the pain from Ryanne's heart.

"He said," she had to swallow. "He said sooner rather than later. Let her rest in peace. He doesn't care that there's nothing... there's nothing to... to..." Reid instantly swept her up, hugging her so tightly to try and stop her from breaking apart as she sobbed onto his shoulder, her face buried into the crook of his neck. He took her weight as her legs gave out, her shaking becoming too much.

"It's okay, love, it's okay, I've got you, it's okay," he whispered like a stubborn mantra, both of them unaware that they were being watched by Pogue and Caleb, the two of them shocked at his outward show of affection from their younger blonde brother. They observed from the shadows in silence.

"I can't believe she's dead!" Ryanne cried, her words thick as she sobbed, falling apart on her blonde angel's shoulder. Reid didn't say anything, not quite knowing what to say, and instead just held her, rocking back and forth once again.

"He killed her, took her away from me, from all of us! He murdered her, he _murdered _her! She was only fifteen, just a child, and now we have to bury her, pretend like there's a body..." She couldn't finish as she wept loudly, making all those who heard bow their heads, end their conversations, feeling guilty for even talking in the first place. Reid finally lowered to the floor onto his knees, feeling his eyes burn as the tears started to come; he blinked keeping them at bay, but not out of pride or embarrassment, but because he needed to be strong for Ryanne, for Addyson, for Daniela, for everything.

They all did.

* * *

"She loved you, you know."

Tyler stopped, confused by Daniela's words. She was sat on his bad, a thick towel wrapped around her wet shoulders, not quite meeting his eyes. Her fingers traced invisible patterns on his plain quilt.

"Who?"

"Vesper. She really liked you, really fancied you. I felt bad – she didn't talk to me much when she realised we were... well, that we were." Tyler put down the towel he had been drying his hair with, and turned slowly to Daniela, wondering why she was telling him this.

"She saw us, that night. I knew she did.. I saw her run away. At first I wasn't sure... but now... now I know it was her. ...Do you think... do you think it's my fault that she ran away in the first place?

Tyler immediately threw his hand out, jerking forward so he was right in front of her; he pressed his hand against her cheek softly but firmly, forcing her to stare into his eyes.

"Never, _never _think that ever again, you hear? None of this, _none of this _is your fault. None of this is _anyone's _fault, and especially not yours, okay? Vesper's death will never make sense, will never become easier, but it's happened, and not because of you, okay?" Daniela nodded under his intense gaze, feeling as if she could look into his beautiful eyes again.

It was then that she noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt, having forgotten the new dry one along with the towel. Daniela's gaze snapped down to his bare, damp torso and back up to his eyes, now a smirk on her lips. Tyler frowned, taken aback by this sudden change of mood.

Daniela thought about how good he made her feel, how he had been able to wipe away the dirt from her skin... if he could do that to the outside, then he could do it the inside too, wipe clean her emotions, her heart. She still felt so dirty, so contaminated by her perverted father's touch... Tyler could erase all of that, get rid of all.

She put her hand on his chest, then slid it up to his cheek, smiling widely. Tyler's eyes widened, now utterly confused about what was going on.

"Daniela?"

"Please Tyler, it will help, you can help me," she murmured as she pushed herself up towards him, running her hands through his wet hair. He swallowed, not quite knowing what to do.

"Daniela, I don't think we should do this..."

"Why not? I thought men loved sex?" Tyler swallowed again as she raised herself to her knees, and kissed him on the lips; he pulled away, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Daniela, I can't do this while you're so vulnerable – I don't want to take advantage of you."

"You're not taking advantage of me if I want to do it," Daniela stressed, starting to get annoyed.

"Yes I am," Tyler countered, forcibly removing Daniela's grip on him. She narrowed her eyes at him, using sheer willpower to keep the tears from falling. She was fed up with crying, but he was just rejecting her, even after he said that he would do anything for her. Couldn't he see that she needed this?

"Fine," she snapped, before getting off the bed. Tyler sighed, immediately feeling bad though he knew that he would feel worse if he went through with her emotionally-brought-on idea. Daniela stormed out of the room, slamming it as hard as she possibly could, so it looked like she was angry rather than devastated.

It worked.

Tyler tried knocking on the door of the spare room she was in, but she just told him to go away, then ignored him, but he didn't stop. So, instead, threw on some jeans and an old shirt, before climbing out the window and onto the roof.

Suddenly, it was so much more quiet, more serene. The night was her only companion, and the moon her only confidant. The stars promised confidentiality, and the silence brought her loyalty. She was truly alone. Tyler had rejected her, refused her, obviously disgusted with the idea of sleeping with her. It was stupid, selfish to even think that he'd want something like that. Why would he? She was damaged goods, someone else's leftovers. A random guy off the street wouldn't want her, so why would the love of her life, the celestial being that once said, oh so long ago now, that he would do anything for her. She 

didn't blame him though, of course not. This wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault she was fucked up in all the wrong ways. That she would be alone for the rest of her miserable life and she couldn't do a damn thing about it because she deserved every second of it.

Darkness was her only witness.

Not for the first time that night, Daniela sat there and cried.

* * *

They needed to get out of the house.

For what, Pogue didn't care, but he had decided they needed to get out of the house.

It wasn't surprising his opinion was shared – mostly by the males – and quickly agreed on – after much persuasion for a certain few. Now he was waiting, with Kate, Caleb and Sarah at his side while the others finished getting ready (and persuaded).

A few minutes later, Ryanne emerged with Reid attached to her side, Addyson napping in her arms. She had a frantic look on her face, but apart from that she looked... relatively unharmed. It was only her eyes – the deep bottomless pits of emotion – that gave her away. But no one would be looking too closely tonight.

Anna, who had been waiting next to Wayne at the foot of the stairs, rushed forward to pluck Addyson out of Ryanne's arms; she smiled warmly down at the little girl, touching her button nose.

"She'll be safe with me, dear," Anna promised, swiftly catching the girl in the eye. Ryanne swallowed, seeming ever so slightly shocked, but said 

nothing, only smiled when Reid nodded infinitesimally beside me, reassuring her. Pogue smiled. Finally, his mother was coming around.

"Is Tyler...?" Reid asked quietly, both Caleb shook his head.

"No, we're still waiting on Daniela."

"What about Nael?" Ryanne asked, joining the conversation.

"He said he's gonna sit this one out, look at the... uh, papers, instead," Pogue said cautiously, but Ryanne only nodded her head – though her grip on Reid's hand became a lot more tighter all of a sudden.

A call made them all look up.

"Hey, Ryanne, can I drive with you?" Ryanne's eyes widened as Daniela pranced down the long staircase, a wide grin on her beautifully makeup face. She wore a deep emerald corset that accentuated her petite waist, and rested lightly on her hips and breasts, with black frilled hot pants and black stilettos.

"Daniela!" Ryanne exclaimed quietly.

"What?"

"You look... you look..." she sighed. "Lovely."

"Thanks!" Daniela walked out with Ryanne, Reid and Tyler trailing behind them, with the others too following. Reid raised eyebrows at his best friend, who just shrugged shaking his head. Daniela had went into her room angry and upset, refusing to talk to him, and then she came out an hour later, perky and happy, like nothing had happened.

Pogue took them to Nicky's thinking that something so childish and immature would loosen up the atmosphere, break the tension between them all, fill the awkward silences.

As soon as they got out the cars, Daniela reached into her cleavage and tugged out a cigarette, sniffing it happily.

"Oh, how I've missed you," she cooed to it quietly, earning a few worried looks from Ryanne and Tyler, but no one said anything, feeling as if it wasn't their place. Ryanne looked around as they entered the bar, the music loud and obnoxious as usual, ignorant of the fact that these familiar customers entering were no longer the same people they used to be. They had all found something out about themselves, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but mostly just natural. Things that they would have to live with, and use in later life, no matter what. They had all grown up, in more ways than one.

They were no longer children, teenagers anymore.

Adults.

_If that's what it takes to be an adult, then maybe we're not alone in this world after all. _

They found some spare space and sat down, starting up light conversation to get things going. Daniela and Ryanne talked animatedly for the first half house – Daniela more so than Ryanne –seemingly ignoring the others there. Sarah and Kate tried hard to participate, but it was too difficult. They soon gave up.

It was only when Daniela jumped up declaring boredom, did Ryanne turn towards the others; Tyler watched with anxiety as the petite brunette danced her way over to the pool tables where a group of guys were mucking about. He tried to follow her movements, but the crowd lapped her up and Caleb called for his attention.

It was Reid who spotted her first. He trailed off in the middle of sentence, his eyes locked on a scene across the room; Ryanne and Tyler followed his line of sight, and immediately everything at the table stopped.

Daniela was sitting on the pool table, her legs wrapped Aaron's waist as kissed her neck, his hands on her back; her hands were by her sides, nonchalant, but she wasn't pulling away.

"That _bastard!" _Tyler growled, his chair slamming back as he rushed up from the table. Reid and Ryanne were the next to follow him, but the others were close behind, all running up to see what the commotion was.

In the split second that he had, Tyler grabbed the back of Aaron's jacket and spun him around, throwing his fist square into the curly-haired boy in front of him. Aaron fell back onto the floor from the sheer impact of it holding his face like it was the most tender thing in the world.

"You fuckin' idiot!" Kyle spat as he winced in pain, his posse rushing over like his pack of bitches to help him up.

"What's wrong with you?" Tyler shouted, but it wasn't directed at Aaron, instead at the young girl still sitting on the pool table. As soon as she registered his tone, she jumped off the pool table in anger.

"What's wrong with _me? _You're the one throwing punches left and right!"

"Why the fuck you kissing Abbott?" he snapped, grabbing hold of her arm to drag her out the bar. As they passed the said boy, Tyler thrust out his foot to catch him in the stomach, effectively keeping him down.

Reid and Ryanne rushed out after them, but hesitated inside the door, not wanting to interfere.

Outisde, Tyler whirled around, not believing how pissed off he was.

"What the hell is your problem?" he yelled at her, his eyes now a dark indigo in his rage. Daniela didn't notice.

"I don't have a problem. It's you with the problem evidently. I don't see why you're so bothered, Simms, it's just a kiss."

"It was fucking Aaron Abbott!" he spat, then went onto say: "Why the fuck you kissing some guy anyway?"

"Well, if you're not going to give it to me, I've got to look elsewhere, haven't I?" Tyler pulled back his head like he had been slapped, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"So... so that's it, is it? That's all you wanted me for? For sex, is that is?"

"Why, what else good are you?" Daniela retorted calmly, her arms crossed, an eyebrow raised.

_Why are you saying this? You don't mean this._

"Do you know how long I tried to get you to give it up, but _no, _you had to be the good boy, and keep my _feelings _in mind. God, save me the heartache."

_What's wrong with you? He doesn't deserve this._

"Seriously, Simms. Next time you get with a girl, warn them if you're going to be a fucking prude beforehand, eh? Save a girl some time."

_Shut up. You're killing him. Look at him. You're killing him. _

"God, you bored me, Simms. Seriously. Sheesh. No wonder you haven't got a girlfriend. Die of boredom before they even got you into bed." With that, she turned, stalking back into the bar with her head held high and a happy smirk sketched on her face.

_Fake. _

* * *

_City lights like rain dance and explode_

_Fall upon the pain of our lives as they kiss and control_

_Fall upon the pain of our lives as they dance and explode_

_City lights like rain_

_City lights so caress me_

_Kiss and control all of our broken hearts_

* * *

Reviews are love :) Please review, it means the world to me :)

**(L)**

* * *


	38. Pandora's Song

**TaylorAlexandra; Fariy Lights; PorcelainChaos; El Neneo; Mischeiflover; TragicCure; Hallows07; Rukie; Spikesbitch; Volleyball.IS.Love; Niffer01; Evil Little Chaotic Angel.**

I apologise for the wait, but it's been hard for me to summon the time to focus entirely on IIYB due to being back at school, and all my _darling _teachers shoving GCSE papers in my face and stupid timetables and such.

But, this chapter is a very important chapter in the progress of this story, and it has taken not just one, but two of us to make it perfect for you. Once again, a huge thanks to the brilliant **PorcelainChaos** for her massive load of help in this chapter.

Lyrics from last chapter: _The Last Song I'm Wasting On You; Stay With Me; Kiss and Control _(all on playlist).

More songs have been added to the playlist, as well as new pictures for Daniela.

_**Chapter Songs: **_

**Colorblind** by _Counting__Crows _(for the Tyler & Daniela scene)

**The Last Song I'm Wasting On You **by _Evanescence _(for the end scene)

This chapter is rated M for sexual scenes.

_.dislclaimer._

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

* * *

**Pandora's Song**

* * *

The difference was huge, obvious. As soon as she had walked through the door, the bitter tension was thrown into her face; she had recoiled from it as the harsh memory of her sick words assaulted her mind, and she had practically ran from the room.

No one said a word.

As the minutes pulled themselves by, refusing to morph into hours, Daniela sat and watched them pass by the door, hearing the hushed conversations that were oblivious to her presence. She was doused in shadow, not deserving the pure light. She deserved nothing.

Not entirely sure what was going on, Wayne had knocked on the door having spotted her tiny frame hidden on the large sofa, and called her to dinner, his tone cautious. After a minute or two of inner debate, she had risen, forcing herself to face the anger, to face the blame. If there was one thing she wasn't, it was a coward. She wouldn't hide in there forever, she _couldn't _hide in there forever.

The dining room stilled when she entered, her movements hesitant and reluctant. Food paused on its way to mouths, eyes widened or narrowed, and words were cut off, not important enough to be remembered.

It was so hard to just stand there, not knowing what to do. Her eyes were on the ground mostly, though every so often they would flash up to a pair of eyes, the majority of them with the same expression in them. She couldn't hold their gaze for long.

"Well, look who it is." Daniela was surprised that it was Anna, Pogue's _mother _who was the first to say something, and it startled her enough to make her look up, instantly finding herself staring into the icy pits of the blonde woman's eyes.

"I... I.." she stuttered, not finding anything relevant to say in response, so instead, she gave up, her shoulders hunching.

"You were invited into my home," Pogue said slowly, carefully, his stance seemingly casual but his gaze ferociously heated. "You were invited into _our _home, and this is how you repay us."

"No," she whispered, shaking her head, her lips going to form some more words, but not quite finding the appropriate ones.

"No?" Caleb repeated disbelievingly, his low voice husky with an almost paternal anger, not that it was neither needed nor necessary. "But that's what it is, isn't it? An ungracious yet honest speech of the mind. Your true feelings of this situation." Daniela shook her head, taken aback by this callous assumption. Couldn't they see how grateful she was that she had someone, _anyone _to back her up? That she finally had a stable roof over her head? That even though she was broken beyond repair, someone was actually willing to still be there for her and to put back the pieces? Couldn't they see _any _of that?

"You were just a shadow, drifting in and out of our business, and we never said a word," Caleb went on to say. "Always bringing us up short, telling us that we didn't know anything, that we had no _right_ to do anything. You were right and we were wrong. Simple as that."

"Almost as simple as how she was just using us, using him, right, Daniela?" It was Reid who spoke this time, and she was incredulous at the masked outrage in his tone, the astringent sarcasm making her flinch. She peeked up long enough to spot Ryanne sitting beside him, leaning on him, his arm securely around her waist. Reid's sharp blue eyes were scorching deep down into her, his words somehow hitting her hardest. Maybe it was because somewhere, deep down inside her, she had this tiny trickle of hope that maybe Reid, next to Tyler of course, would be the one out of the quartet to understand her situation, her emotional instability. Obviously not. Because his love and understanding was for Ryanne and no one else.

Ryanne. Daniela could barely bring herself up to look into the redhead's mossy eyes as she ignored the continuous banter from the people around her. There was nothing coming from Ryanne, though Daniela doubted that she would ever say a negative thing about her, despite the utter fact that she deserved it. Though, it seemed, that she wasn't willing to say anything _for _her either.

Finally, Daniela managed to gather enough strength to look into her friend's, her sister's eyes, their strong gazes connecting instantly. In that one moment, that was such a potent heat as their bond flowed through them, all those years of pain, heartache and abuse keeping them strong, keeping them together. Such truth there was in their eyes, and it made them both inwardly gasp; such raw emotion that made them both recoil away from and lean towards simultaneously. The two were so similar, yet so different at the same time, the replication of a broken and beaten childhood bringing them closer than anyone could possibly imagine.

"Stop." Everyone did so with that one whispered command, the word echoing around the room vibrantly. Daniela couldn't pull her gaze away, and neither could Ryanne. The communication passing through their eyes was years long, words, feelings, emotions and tears darting to and fro faster than a speeding bullet, faster than light. It was almost disorientating.

"Stop pretending like you know the truth," Ryanne went on to say, and Daniela was impressed at the remarkable multitasking – their gaze was too strong for her even to begin to remember how to speak.

"Stop pretending like you know _anything." _The remaining Sons looked at each other, their expressions a mixture of a wide number of looks, not one of them more dominant than the other.

"Ryanne," Pogue started, but the girl in question shook her head.

"No. Stop. We've gone through our entire lives recovering from a long list of people and their assumptions. Don't make me add you to the list."

"But-" Caleb went to say in protest, scowling that they were being silenced yet again, but he was cut off – this time, by Reid.

"No, Caleb," he said quietly; his own brilliant orbs were focused on Ryanne's profile, his expression as if he had just been giving the answer to all his problems, even the ones he didn't know existed. "You don't know. None of us do. So let's stop pretending like we do."

The Sons sighed, but backed down, not wanting to argue with their brother.

"Just stop pretending."

No one was sure who Ryanne was talking to.

* * *

It took her while to conjure the strength to push open the door. His door.

It was silly really. It was only a door. It was only a room. It was only him.

_Hah._

Slowly, Daniela opened the door to his bedroom, letting it swing open revealing his tall lean silhouette standing by the window. The moon cast its celestial glow over him, shining past him onto the floor, giving his shadow two glorious white wings.

"Tyler," she whispered, her voice foreign even to her own ears. She was surprised at how quickly he turned around to face her. Blue burned into brown and she recoiled from the harshness of his gaze.

"Get out," he whispered, his tone hard and sharp but laced with some emotion that she didn't recognise.

"Tyler," she said again, but this time she was pleading. "I-I'm _so _sorry." She took a step forward, ignoring his demand; she couldn't have him mad at her, she just couldn't. He was her everything, she _needed _him – she just had to let him know how much.

"Daniela... please," he sighed, sounding almost... defeated. "Just go." The sound of sadness made its way to her ears, and she winced, hating herself for hurting him. Tyler turned around, expecting to hear the door close, but instead heard her speak.

"Richard's my father." At first, he was surprised that she hadn't left, but then the words registered in his brain. He went to say something out of anger, but held the words back, not wanting to deal with this right now.

"Why are you telling me this?" Tyler didn't want this. He didn't want her telling him about her personal life, spilling all the deep dark secrets he had wanted to hear before so bad, just because she felt guilty – guilty for shattering his heart without even a backwards glance.

_Well, here's the backwards glance._

"Because you deserve to know," she replied, her voice cracking towards the end. Her hands were clammy, and her hair kept getting in her eyes; her nerves were racing... she had never done this before.

"Daniela, just... just go. Don't do this to me," he told her, not knowing whether he would be able to handle whatever she was about to say – as much as he loved her, the one thing he couldn't do – didn't want to do – was push aside the hurt and anger she had caused him.

"Y-you know... he wasn't always such a horrible man... father. He was pretty decent when I was younger." Tyler turned back towards her, realising she wasn't going to leave him.

_Might as well listen._

"I guess..." she swallowed thickly. "I guess I was always his little girl... and as hard as it is to say it, I loved him. I still do somehow. _God! _How sick is that?" she exclaimed, though her words were barely a whisper. He could already hear the tears in her voice, and his body strained as it tried to force him to move forwards, to comfort her. Instead he shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

"He's your father."

Now, Tyler hated Richard, hated him with a vile passion that turned his life to gall, but he wasn't going to express his violent thoughts just now.

"When I was four, I found my mother... I found my mother h-hanging in her bedroom closet. She had c-committed suicide." Her voice got weaker and weaker as she spoke, finding it hard to summon the strength to tell her story.

"I heard a thumping noise against the wall. I went to go see what it was and... and I found her. I was only four." She was pouring out her soul to him, and the tears already making their way down her face.

"I didn't know what to do at the time, all I could do was stare. She... she wasn't... she was still st-struggling. I... I think she regretted it, when saw me." Daniela gulped, biting her lip, feeling extremely self-conscious. Tyler just stood there, not knowing what to do.

"I don't think I can ever forget the look in her eyes. Pure horror and regret. I... I blamed her for the longest time; I didn't know why she wanted to leave my father... and I thought... I thought we were the perfect family. It wasn't until later that I discovered I was living a lie. Or believing one, to be more accurate." She had to stop in order to suppress the sob that tried to escape her lips, but she just kept going after that. She needed to get it all out, and fast, or she'd regret it and walk away.

"I realised years later that she killed herself because of him. I-I don't blame her now. I wish I w-was as brave as her, so m-maybe I could just e-end it all-" She was cut off his by his stern voice as he took a step towards her; despite the dripping anger in his tone, she could still hear the fear that laced through his words.

"Don't you _dare," _he warned. "Don't you ever, ever try that to herself, you hear me?" A small timid nod was the only visible sign that she heard him. He was appalled that she would even consider the thought of suicide. He didn't know what he would do without her. Once again the itch to bring her close almost escaped him, but he stopped himself as she started speaking again.

"Richard... h-he started h-hitting me... only when he was drunk. I was small, and the beatings hurt, but I was o-okay with it. I would just... brush it off, thinking he missed my mother so much, and he just needed to get his anger out." Tyler clenched his fists at his sides.

_Keep it cool. Don't want to lash out in front of her, don't want to scare her. _

"I-I was six the first time, he, uh, r-raped me. I was getting ready for bed, and I remember h-humming some old song my mother used to sing me to sleep with, to block out the pain, you know? I remember that night I got the worst b-beating ever, and I was trying to make it hurt less by humming that song. I h-had just put on my night gown and laid down in my bed, when-" She was cut off by Tyler's desperate plea.

"Daniela, don't," he begged, but she didn't let him finish, and continued on with her dreadful childhood memory, the story of her life. She needed to get it off her chest, no matter how much it hurt. As the anguish gushed from her lips, form her heart, quiet sobs filled the silent spaces between her harsh breaths.

"When I h-heard my d-door open, I th-thought he was coming to a-apologise for hitting me so hard, when I opened my eyes, all I saw was the _sick _gleam in his _eager _eyes. H-he pulled off my covers, and pulled me up by my a-arms," she managed to stammer out.

Saying this all out loud was like reliving it; she could feel everything she said, see everything she once did. His hands were tight on her arms, his short nails digging into her fragile skin; the dim light from the hallway snuck under her door and highlighted the twisted glee shining in his eyes; the thin cotton of her night gown was starting to stick to her body from her slight perspiration, the flimsy material not good enough to keep away the shivers.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping the clean oxygen would rid her lungs from the nauseating smell, but her father's putrid odour still rang clear through her mind.

"You don't have-" She just continued.

"He told me he w-wanted to play a g-game. He told me that it was a g-game that b-big girls p-played. He knew how to g-get to me. I always wanted to be like my m-mother, to be a b-big girl. I-I asked him i-if it was a f-fun game," she cried out, seeing it all unfold behind her closed eyes. She couldn't believe how naive had had been... but she was only six.

Tyler closed his eyes too, feeling the moisture brim his eyelashes. When the pain of not seeing her became too much, he opened them again, taking in all her beauty. Her broken, bruised beauty. She looked so small, so weak, and no matter how angry he was at her, all he wanted to do was pick her up and hold her close, let her know how much he admired her, how much he loved her...

But his feet were stuck in place, and he couldn't seem to find the strength to move... so he just continued to watch and stare.

Daniela, on the other hand, couldn't bear to look at him; she could feel his gaze burn holes into her, but she didn't want to see the look of pity she knew would be etched onto his handsome face.

"His answer was _very. _I remember a-asking him i-if we c-could play the next day was I was really t-tired... He told me that he just c-couldn't wait. He started to p-push my nightgown up and he told me he was g-going to t-teach me the r-rules." Her words were cut off abruptly as the sobs overwhelmed her control, her small hands pressing up tightly against her face, trying to stem the tears to no avail. Tyler made an instinctive reach forwards to pull her to him, but she just flinched away at the idea of contact.

In her mind she was six years old, in her dark, cold bedroom, her father on top of her.

"He r-raped me for the f-first time that n-night... I remember him whispering in m-my ear that he'd al-always love me... and at f-first I believed h-him... but then I th-thought... if he loved me so much, why would he hurt me in such a h-horrible way? Then I thought... if he didn't my love me... if my f-father didn't love me... who would?" The tears fell faster now, running down her cheeks, leaving dark black mascara tracks in their path.

Summoning all her strength, she looked up into his eyes for the first time that night, and was startled to see tears on the brink of falling, but she carried on anyway. Nothing could stop the words now.

"The other night, when you r-rejected me, I felt so... stupid. And I th-thought to myself the same th-thing... i-if you didn't love me, who would? I just w-wanted you to love me, b-but I understand wh-why you didn't want to... I-I'm repulsive and I'm so so s-sorry..."

This time it was he who cut her off as he wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her into a long awaited embrace; he whispered sweet nothings in her ear as she cried. This time her tears weren't just of pain, but of relief – relief that he finally knew the truth... she wouldn't have to _pretend _anymore.

"I. Love. You," he stated with so much emotion in his voice that Daniela's knees felt weak. He loved her, and she needed to realise it, one way or the other.

"I love you so much Daniela, god, so much, don't you _ever _think for one second that I don't. I just... I didn't want to take advantage of you before... But I love you with my entire existence. I don't see a future without you by my side, because I know that there _isn't_ one. I would never be able to survive without you."

She tried desperately hard to form a coherent sentence, but the words wouldn't come out, so instead she pressed her lips - wet with tears - against his own, kissing him with as much passion as she could manage.

Now there was no pain in her tears – still relief, but most importantly: happiness.

They stood there for a while, just holding one another, time now a meaningless thing, but it couldn't have been more than five minutes when Daniela felt the courage to gaze up into his eyes. The anger and betrayal that Tyler's eyes once held for her was now replaced with pure love and lust.

It still didn't make sense to her that her loved her, and how much he loved her. She didn't accept the fact that she deserved every ounce of adoration her sent her way, but that didn't mean she didn't readily love him back.

Lost in her own thoughts, she almost didn't register the soft tender kiss he placed on her damp limps.

"I love you," he mumbled against them, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to say. Such certainty, such passion. "So much."

"I love you too, Tyler." It was the first time she had ever said it back to him, and it felt so good to let him know how true that simple statement was in her heart. She loved him with every fibre of her being, the thought of being away from him leaving a gaping and heart wrenching pressure in her chest.

No words were spoken as they sunk down onto the soft mattress, sharing a gentle kiss. Tyler cupped her cheek with one hand, whilst the other was lovingly placed on her lower back; even in that simple gesture there was a strong protectiveness that made Daniela blush.

Situated on their knees, Tyler broke the kiss, and unhurriedly laid soft kissed down her jaw to her collarbone, taking the time to soak up the beauty that radiated from her. Daniela sighed in bliss, her eyes drooping shut as her hands crept up to his neck. She ran her hands down his back and back up once again to his neck, and then to his cheeks. She felt his tongue run across her bottom lip and she granted him entrance.

Tyler had never felt this way with a woman... or a girl, so to speak, in his life before. With all the other girls he considered his girlfriends – or whatever they were – it had just been rushed, meaningless sex. All about the physical, nothing more. They had meant nothing to him.

But this was different – he could feel it in his heart. The love they held for each other was roaming the air, lavishing up every heated kiss, every tranquil sigh, every deep moan; it was in their blood, running through their veins, and he knew this time that it meant everything in the world to him.

He was in love.

He shuddered as he felt her slim hands absentmindedly trace the skin underneath the hem of his green t-shirt, and slowly make their way up his bare chest. A shiver passed through him at the feeling of her chilled hands on his hot skin, but immedietly opened his eyes, breaking the kiss. The look of bewilderment and hurt crossed her features once again, and she dropped her hands, turning her head timidly to the side, avoiding his gaze.

_She thinks I'm rejecting her. Again. _

The guilt washed over him, and he gently moved her face so their eyes connected, tracing her full lips with his thumbs.

"I just... are you sure?" he asked. He saw a small smile make its way onto her face, and she leaned forward to place a chaste, but loving kiss beneath his ear.

"I'm sure, Tyler. I've never been more sure in my life."

She'd lied to him that night. She had never done this before, never wanted to. Until now, that is. Sure, there were guys before Tyler who had wanted it, but she never gave in. In all honesty, she'd never even experienced lust before – never had the man to make her do so. So, to say she was nervous was an understatement. She felt so secure, but so frightened. Not that she thought that he'd ever lay a hand on her the wrong way, but because she was afraid she'd disappoint him with her sheer lack of experience. She didn't know what she was doing... just laying little kisses down his stomach, on his neck, his collarbone, all the way up to his lips. The feeling of his lips on hers was so electric; so gentle, so sweet... she loved it.

She loved _him_.

With shaking hands, she ran them down to his bare torso, eliciting a small groan of anticipating from him, down to the button of his jeans. Seeing her struggle, he undid them himself, and kicked them off in a matter of seconds. Her face flushed at the sight of him, with such little clothing on, but she leaned up against him and kissed him softly before taking her own shirt in her hands, throwing it down to the floor with his clothes. Feeling shyer than usual, she backed away from him and sunk down onto the pillows adorning his bed.

_She had never looked so beautiful._ She was wonderful, perfect in his eyes, and always would be. She looked breathtaking. One look at her and he was a goner. She looked like a goddess, supporting herself up by her elbows, strands of hair covering parts of her face, those dark bashful eyes hidden behind long lashes. He wanted to give her everything he possibly could and more. Never in his life had he felt such a powerful feeling take a hold of him: all he wanted was for her to be happy and safe, to be with him.

Tyler advanced towards her and laid careful kissed down her bare stomach, smiling as he felt the tremors of pleasure course through her body. He placed a loving kiss on her right hip, just above her jeans; then, with his skilled hands, she felt him unbutton her jeans and slide them down her short, slim legs. Taking them off revealed all the bruises and welts pressed deep into her flesh – it was sickening, and his anger rose considerably.

_No, now's not the time._

Instead, he started to place tender, healing kissed on every bruise and scrape he found imprinted on her body.

He was prefect, and she couldn't ask for anything more. He could make her feel so confident, so beautiful just with one glance. Letting that infatuation guide her hand, she cupped his face and brought him back to her own lips so she could kiss him deeply, both groaning under their breaths at the sensation they gave each other. She felt her eyes shut as he started to kiss down her body again, his thirst for her touch not yet quenched. She had never felt so secure in her life before.

Hearing her let out a small moan as she arched her back, Tyler watched as she unclasped her bra, letting the straps fall lazily down her shoulders, her beautiful eyes shyly avoiding his gaze. Moving up her body, he whispered soothing, reassuring words, knowing that she was nervous.

"You're gorgeous – never be ashamed of your body," he stated simply, and he felt her body relax against his touch. Placing delicate kissed on the rabid bite marks he found surrounding her breasts, he felt her shimmy her way out of her underwear. Kissing him again, she rid him of the rest of his clothes, the garments just getting in the way.

"You're sure?" he clarified once again to be sure that this was what she wanted. The only response he received in return was a heavy kiss on his lips.

_This is it. I'm ready. _

As he lowered his body on top of hers and kissed her, he slowly filled her completely, keeping his eyes transfixed on her face. She broke the kiss as a gasp was summoned from her lips, eyes closed, mouth parted open. His eyes were trained on her, she could feel it.

"Open your eyes, Daniela," she heard him say, so she did, instantly.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, looking deep into her deep brown eyes. She nodded, not being able to say a thing, due to the completion and pleasure she felt at the moment. As he pulled out and filled her once again, she let out a small whimper of pleasure. They soon found a languid rhythm, and communicated in small groans and sighs, both completely engulfed in ecstasy. He felt her small hands grip his back tightly as she entwined her legs with his.

"Oh," she breathed against his ear, her hot breath making it harder to resist the urge to pick up his pace. But no, this wasn't about him, it was about her, about making her feel complete.

He looked into her eyes once again, and found tears leaking out the corners of her eyes. She was so consumed with pleasure at that moment, and she couldn't help but cry – not out of pain, but because of the rapture that was coursing through her body. She had never felt this surge of complete satisfaction. The pleasure she was experiencing at that moment was so strong, it was overwhelming, the bliss too powerful. She leaned into his soft hand as he gently wiped away her tears, tenderly kissing her sweaty forehead.

"It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay."

With every thrust he made, his stomach brushed up against her navel, the sweat clinging to their bodies like a second skin, causing them to hold onto each other tighter in order to stay as close to the other as physically possible. Tyler's hands moved down to her hips as he managed to sit them both up, still connected in the most intimate way. As they continued to kiss, their hips found their steady rhythm once again; he kept one hand in place on her nimble hips, helping her move against him, while the other managed to under her right hand from his brown hair. He laced their fingers together in midair, both trying to reach the ultimate perfection within the other. As he felt her tighten around him, he heard a series of _oh god'_s escape her plump lips. She could feel it coming, the pressure in her lower abdomen getting stronger and stronger as their pelvises kept colliding.

"Oh... oh god, oh god, oh god..." she whimpered, unable to control her voice any longer. As she came she called his name, and felt him squeeze her hand reassuringly as she was engulfed in her moment of complete bliss. She felt exhaustion overtake her body, and fell limp against him. Then, remembering he wasn't done, she started to slowly move against him once again, rewarded with a low moan from him; the feeling of pressure built up within her for the second time that night.

As he felt her start her rhythm again, he couldn't help but let out a deep groan. As he filled her each time, a pleasurable whimper would escape her. He was almost there, he could tell – and as they came together for the first time, they both felt the utter completion of the other's body overwhelm them, leaving them drowning in raw, untainted ecstasy.

Tyler felt his body collapse on top of hers, though he made sure he wasn't crushing her delicate frame; her hands were tightly wrapped around his back, holding him as close to her as possible. As they both panted from the exhaustion, he asked:

"How do you feel?"

"God... I feel amazing, free," she replied in a rush of hot breath against his shoulder. "God, I'm free... I feel _free._" Tyler once again took her face in his hands and kissed her with all the passion within him, never wanting to let her go. As they just laid there, holding each other, listening to the harsh thumping of their hearts and the heavy panting of their breath, neither of them heard the door open, then shut a few seconds later.

Both Tyler and Daniela, completely spent, could only muster up the strength to do one thing. Drenched in sweat, limbs entangled together, his head on her chest, whispering the most sacred and beautiful of all words repeatedly to each other, as if they were afraid that the other couldn't hear them.

"_I love you."_

* * *

There was a soft smile on Reid's lips as he shut the door, placing a hand against it for a second, before pulling away. He wasn't going to say a word – not to them, not to anyone else. It was up to them, not him.

"Reid." The blonde turned at the call of his name, stepping forward so he subtly blocked the door to the used guestroom. He raised his eyes to Pogue, stuffing his hands into his pockets, his shoulders hunched as he waited for the inevitable _talk _the older boy was going to give him. He didn't want to hear it, and it wouldn't do anything to stop him, but he may as well let Pogue have his say, his stupid, stupid say.

"You've changed," Pogue said, and Reid noted how it was not an accusation, but an observation, a statement of fact. He didn't deny it – it was true.

"You've grown up, Reid, you've matured." Reid nodded, knowing how true this was – in fact, he had just proven this a few seconds ago by not making a ridiculously stupid comment, though he wasn't going to use this as an example to Pogue. The older boy watched him for a few seconds, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed as he surveyed his brother, his friend; Reid let him look, trying to convey silently how much he loved Ryanne, Pogue's baby sister.

"You know what man? I don't think I have too big of a problem with you being with Ryanne." Reid's eyes widened slightly, not expecting this, but didn't question miraculous his decision, not wanting to push his luck. He accepted graciously, though his stomach was doing flips inside of him.

"What you trying to say?" Reid asked, his voice hushed as he stepped away from the door, not wanting to alert Tyler or Daniela to their presence.

"I think..." he paused as if he wasn't sure about what he was feeling, having to clarify it first. "I think that I'm giving you permission to be with her." Reid had to stifle a laugh at this, shaking his head.

"Thanks man, but it's not like you ever stopped us before."

"Well, no, but mostly because I haven't had the time to kick your blonde ass, but now that I _do _have the time, I don't think I need to anymore." Reid approached Pogue, his face completely serious as he laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks man. Seriously, I'm going to take care of her."

"You better," Pogue warned, his eyes flashing darkly, getting across the message visually as well as verbally. "Because I'll be first to tear you to bits – Covenant or no Covenant, I will kill you." Reid nodded, fully accepting this responsibility.

"Then good," Pogue said, settling back into his casual stance. "I have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing," Reid reiterated firmly, nodding.

"Speaking of the Covenant..." Pogue said hestitantly, a frown etched onto his forehead. "When are you going to tell her... _are _you going to tell her?" Reid too frowned, tapping his chin as he thought, looking away from his brother as he scrounged his mind for some kind of plan.

"I don't know... I think she already knows something is up because of when Tyler through Richard into the wall... but she hasn't said anything about it... I don't know," he said again, his head aching from the constant repeatition of this exact question from the past few days.

"I think I'll tell her... tomorrow. Yeah. I'll tell her tomorrow," he promised Pogue and himself. Reid watched in a pondering quiet as Pogue drifted back down the stairs at the call of his beloved, his deep laugh rumbling through the house, sounding so much like his father's. He followed him shortly, whispering to himself.

"Tomorrow, I'll stop pretending."

* * *

The notes danced through the air, spiralling into the foyer, their sad sound silencing any other noise. There was a low hum accompanying the music, an intro into a heartfelt tune that had been written many years ago in preparation for this day.

"_Sparkling grey, they're my own veins..."_

It was Tyler who heard it first, and followed his ears and heart towards the lonesome living room where he had shared his first kiss with his love. Low candlelight swayed to the music, their golden flames dousing the room in a nostalgic shadow.

Daniela was sat at the old grand piano, her fingers mindlessly finding the correct keys, the low sounds echoing through the whole house, drawing in the others like moths to a flame.

"_Any more than a whisper, any sudden movement of my heart..."_

It was Ryanne and Reid who entered next, Ryanne's face blank with shock, her eyes clouding with a reminiscent memory. Reid watched her as she departed from his side, slowly making her way over to where her brunette friend sat at the piano, singing the soft words to the beautiful song. Ryanne listened to the notes for a few seconds, not noticing the others fill up the small room, exchanging bemused looks and questioning glances.

"_And I know, I know I'll have to watch them pass away... just get through this day..." _Their voices, a perfect duet, were quiet against the loud notes from the piano, but the emotion in them, the memories from which this song was derived were so much louder.

"_Give up your way, you could be anything... give up my way and lose myself... not today... that's just too much guilt to pay..."_

This song had been written by the pair of them when they were around twelve years old, then put away into a dusty jewellery box, never to be opened until this day, until the day that it would be sung.

"_Sickened in the sun, you dare tell me you love me... but you held me down and screamed you wanted me to die... honey you know, you know I'd never hurt that way..."_

The paper it had been written on was old, dog-eared and bloodstained, ripped from one of Ryanne's diaries, ragged down one side. The ink was faded and smudged by tears of pain and quiet laughter.

"_You're just so pretty in your pain..."_

They used to sit there, in the dark, and whisper their predictions of the future – a happy future – to each other. Their skinny, scraped knees would be held tight to their chests, their faces sallow, their cheeks hollow, but their smiles hopeful. They talked about how they would be free one day, happy and in love. They never asked for money, for fame, for fortune, but for love and freedom. They wished their mothers to be safe, they wished for their children to be loved.

"_Give up my way, and I could be anything... I'll make my own way... without your senseless hate... hate... hate...hate..."_

They hoped for the day when they would be free, when Richard was no longer in control, no longer haunting their every step, no longer in their lives, no longer where he could hurt them.

"_So run... run... run... and hate me, if it feels good... I can't hear your screams anymore..."_

Music was an escape for them. Lyrics and melodies provided an alternate path, away from the pain of reality, the chains of living nightmares. They would lie in the night, the stars their only witnesses, and would hum music, creating harmonies and singing spontaneous phrases and words.

"_You lied to me, but I'm older now... and I'm not buying, baby..."_

They wrote this song one night, imaging the melody, then creating it on a friend's broken piano. They wrote this song as a promise, as an oath to themselves that one day, this song would be legitimate, applicable to them and their lives.

"_Demanding my response... don't bother breaking the door down... I've found my way out..."_

And until that day, that beautiful day, this song would not be sung, the tune would not be played, the folded piece of paper would not be looked upon. Until that day, it would be kept in the broken jewellery box, hidden away from mind and memory. It's was like a pandora's box. All the pain, the anger, the hurt, the betrayal and the fear had been let out by Richard, and for most of their lives, it had been racing around their heads, their hearts, their minds and their souls, attacking at will, using razor teeth and jagged claws to rip away at their dignity, their strength, their courage, their inner peace, their faith and their innocence – and slowly, they had all deteriorated, falling away into nothing but more pain and fear. But this song, this one short song, was like the hope at the bottom of the box, the hope at the bottom of their hearts.

"_And you'll never hurt me again."_

That day had come.

* * *

Review, please! This chapter took a lot of effort from PorcelainChaos and I :)

Remember to check out my profile for new pictures and songs :)

**(L)**


	39. Will You Be Mine, Valentine?

**TaylorAlexandra; El Neneo; Evil Little Chaotic Angel; hockeygrl125; Niffer01; Fariy Lights; jill; TragicCure; Rukie; Mikii-Imperfectionist; mischieflover; Violi; PorcelainChaos; Kris Death; euphoria falls; kail; DamselNOTinDistress; tinkab**

Heh heh. So, seriously, how much do you guys hate me? :P Sorry 'bout that guys, but here it is.

**IMPORTANT: **_There is a scene missing from this chapter (written by PorcelainChaos) but I wanted to get this chapter up asap, so once she has finished with it, I shall reload this chapter with the new scene, okay? However, if you'd rather read this with the scene, then don't read this chapter. If your willpower is that strong, then you can't wait another week or so :)_

Apart from that, this is it up and running for you :)

I've got a poll on my profile about the summaries for this story :) please check out.

_.disclaimer._

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

* * *

**Will You Be Mine, Valentine?**

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* * *

**

Gilded light scorched across her skin, burning half of her angel's face. Her chocolate locks cascaded across the pillow, curling delicately around her neck. Each breath she took was soft and relaxed, her fingers twitching unconsciously as she dreamed.

Tyler was leant against the door frame, wearing a radiant smile, his wet hair dripping droplets of water down his back. A quiet voice told him he should go down and see the others like he said he would, but he couldn't pull himself away, intoxicated by her presence, scared to death that if he even blinked, she would disappear like some faded fantasy.

Each beat of his heart was like a punch in the chest as he watched her stir from her golden slumber, her eyes blinking slowly as she came around; he could help but lean forward in sheer anticipation, desperate to see her truffle orbs connect with his, showing him some form of enlightenment that people only imagine in their dreams.

Daniela's hands stretched out, searching the other side of the bed sleepily; Tyler watched as her face fell, the sense of abandonment and embarrassment chilling her expression as she realised she was alone in the empty bed.

Not another second.

"Daniela," he called softly, reassuringly, and her beautiful eyes snapped to him, a wide smile spreading across her face like ink in water, like some kind of miracle. As he strode to her, she pulled herself onto her knees, her thick tresses falling down her shoulders. She was clad in T-shirt of his, and he knew that he could never look as good in the piece of clothing a she did right then. When he reached her, she pressed her face into his shoulder, inhaling deeply as she wrapped her arms around him, securing him to her.

_Oh God, _she thought deliriously. _He smells so good._

"Morning, love," he greeted, and her heart jumped at the two words; nothing ever had made her happier.

"I missed you," she replied loftily and he grinned, entangled his fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp tenderly. She sighed, the sound an almost-moan, and pressed her face into the crook of his neck, her fingers digging into the skin of his back.

"You were only alone for two seconds... and even then you weren't really alone."

"Too long," she whispered. "Too long."

* * *

"Does that child ever _shut up_?"

Pogue threw his head back in pure dismay. Ryanne glared at him, her eyes narrowed cruelly as she took insult from her brother's unkind remark; she smacked him upside the head on her way to console and comfort her teary-eyed daughter who refused to go to sleep. Then she grinned when she realised she _could _smack him upside the head.

"That's my little girl you're talking about," Reid snapped, he too throwing out a harsh hand to hit his pact-brother. Pogue frowned, trying to work out how to rub his arm and his head at the same time with only one hand, the other one surgically attached to his girlfriend's waist.

Kate giggled and kissed him on the nose, crinkling up her own as she smiled, knowing how to easily break her long-haired boyfriend that she had wrapped around her finger – with good intentions of course.

"Baby," he whined as she got to her feet. "Stay, _stay!" _

Kate just laughed at his childish pleads and shook her head, watching as Sarah two stood up, disentangling herself from the brooding eldest over in the corner.

"Sorry baby, Sarah and I have got to go shopping," she told him, watching with humour as Pogue's eyes brightened at the chance of an escape route and he shot up like he had been burned where the sun don't shine.

"I'll come!" he cried triumphantly, wincing when he heard Addyson shriek even louder.

"_Thanks Pogue!" _He just waved away Ryanne's snipe and grabbed at Kate's hand, ready to drag her out the house.

"We're getting tampons," Sarah informed them and the six males in the room flinched severely. Pogue blanched and shuddered, his toes curling, and went to sit down again, the programmed protest already on his lips, when Addyson – dear baby Addyson – let out another scream, one that made their ears ring from their pitch of her little baby voice. It took about three seconds for Pogue, Caleb and Nael to pause, look at each other, and stand up.

"You know, I've always wanted to be in touch with my feminine side..."

"And to think, some men get antsy about ta... girl thingies..."

"Actually, I need some tampons myself..."

It was almost embarrassing – and certainly sad – how fast those boys ran from the room, dragging the two girls out behind them, slamming the door shut as they went. There was a victory cry from one of them, enticing Reid shake his head in amusement.

"_You're little girl, _eh?" Jace asked, an eyebrow raised as he leant back into the couch, adjusting his sling carefully. Reid regarded him stonily for a few seconds before getting to his feet.

"Someone's got to be her father."

"And I'll get right to it – oh, and once you've finished fucking Ryanne, could you give her back to me, to her family? Preferably before she's completely broken. Thanks a bunch." Reid grabbed Jace up by his lapels, sneering into his face.

"Why, fancy another go at her? Hell, maybe she might even _willingly _sleep with you this time." Jace smacked away Reid's hands with a human growl, and the two stood there, squared off as they glowered fiercely at one another.

"_Sleep, pretty baby, do not cry, and golden slumbers will kiss your eyes. Smiles await you when you rise, sleep, pretty baby, do not cry."_

Reid glanced out the door, then back to Jace, his power twitching as he restrained his anger and restrained himself.

"_Sleep, pretty baby, do not scream, mummy will hold you while you dream. When you wake your eyes will gleam, sleep, pretty baby, do not scream."_

Jace wanted to punch the stupid, smug blonde so hard, demand why he did nothing, _nothing _for Ryanne, and how his beloved redhead could stand there and take his crap. He, Jace, was the better candidate for her by far, but why couldn't _she _see that?

"_Sleep, pretty baby, don't worry, you will always be forever free, and you mean the world to me, sleep, pretty baby, don't worry."_

Underneath his anger, Reid was scared – terrified that Jace was going to do something to Ryanne in one of his stupid attempts to 'sway her over' and end up getting her or Addyson hurt – and he would rather will away his power to evil unknown that stand by as his Ryanne, his beautiful Ryanne got hurt.

"_Sleep, pretty baby, do not cry, just rest in slumber and rest your eyes, and if you sleep and do not cry, mummy will sing you a lullaby."_

* * *

It was time.

It was dusk. They were alone. The stars shone down their wisdom. The moon smiled with grace. The sky blanketed them with protection.

It was time.

"Reid, love, what's the matter?" Ryanne watched as her blonde prince squirmed as he stood next to her, uncomfortable and panicked. She was worried and she felt the frenzy starting to move in her chest, but she took a breath and kept herself calm; instead of letting her fear show, she rest a gentle hand on his shoulder, urging him silently to look at her.

"I love you," he claimed, his eyes wide and vulnerable; he looked so young right then, open and defenceless, scared.

"I know, baby... you're scaring me, what's wrong?"

"Do you love me?" he asked, clutching at her hands like her next words meant life or death to him.

They did.

"Of course, with all my soul... Reid, love, please... tell me what's going on! Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Reid shook his head, his heart shuddering in terror; his hands were shaking at his breathing was ragged. He didn't what he would do if... if...

"There's something... there's something I need to tell you..."

"Oh Gods," she whispered. "Please... please don't tell me you're-"

"I'm not breaking up with you or anything, I _swear_," he promised her, pulling her hands to his heart, kissing them, his eyes appraising her again and again in fear that this would be the last time he would ever see her.

"Okay... thank the Gods... but... what's _wrong_?" she cried, her throat dry and scratchy.

"I need to... I've got a secret... a big secret... not just mine... but all the Sons... brothers..." _Jesus, this wasn't working._

"Just breathe, Reid," she commanded. "Take it slow. It's okay, I'm not going anywhere."

"You're not going to believe me," he muttered and Ryanne let a small smile taint her lips.

"Try me."

Reid grinned a faint smile, but it was quickly wiped from his face as he weighed up the consequences of this break of silence. But if Caleb and Pogue could do it, why not him? But would Ryanne approve? Would she understand? Or would she scream and run?

"Do you... do you believe in magic?" he asked, and Ryanne smiled wide.

"Of course! Well... unless you mean like shitty magicians stuff, then hell _no. _But if you're talking about witchcraft and stuff, then yeah, why?" Her blonde angel's eyes brightened slightly at this sudden window of hope.

"Oh... this isn't because I'm New Age and all that, is it?" Ryanne asked worriedly, and Reid laughed.

"God no. In fact... it's the opposite..." Ryanne said nothing, only stared on in confusion as Reid stumbled over his words, something she didn't think he knew how to do.

"Look... it's probably easier if I show you... just, please don't scream, okay? I don't want to wake Addy." Ryanne smiled at this casual yet genuine sign of affection of her baby, and nodded, all the while trying to suss out what was going on in that head of his.

"Okay, here it goes..."

Ryanne watched in silent dread as Reid's beautiful blue eyes scorched a radiant rage of flame, then bled onyx, enveloping his cerulean orbs in a pitch black that sucked all light into them.

Her heart sped up and she stepped back, pressing herself against the wall in fear and bewilderment.

_What the fuck?_

"Ryanne please...!" the blonde cried desperately, reaching out for her hand. She shook her head: it _sounded _like Reid, it _looked _like Reid but... _was _it Reid?

"I don't... what are...?" she stuttered, not quiet able to form proper coherent sentences.

"The boys and I are part of this Covenant... we have this power that allows us to Use... we can do practically _anything! _And when we Use, it feels so good, oh _God _it feels so good! But... it's addictive, and it drains our life from us. In a few weeks I'm going to ascend and get the full brunt of the power... and then..."

"And then... and then _what_?"

"I've got to be careful. If I get too addicted then... I could die. I _will _die." Ryanne gasped, shaking her head, this all too much to take in. This... power, this ability of his... of the others... her brother! But... die? His death would override anything... _everything._

"You can't die!" she exclaimed, stumbling forward to grasp his hands. "Oh Gods, you can't die!" Reid was astonished at the heartbroken tears in her eyes, and he let go of his power, letting it slide away. He saw the sheer bemusement in his love's eyes, and carefully stroked her hair.

"It's okay baby, it's okay, I'm not going to die. With you I don't need to Use... I get the same feeling with you ten times over. It's okay, it's okay. I'm okay."

It took a few more minutes to calm Ryanne down, but soon she felt calm enough to step back and scrutinise her boyfriend.

"So... you have this power... that allows you to do anything you want... and you _never told me_?" Reid winced at the accusation, but secretly he was singing inside: if this was her worst concern then he was the luckiest man alive, or dead.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but you've got to understand... it's a Covenant of Silence... we're not allowed to tell it to anyone who could risk spilling the secret... and then after I realised that your loyalty was not a problem, I got scared. What if you hated me, thought I was some kind of devil-child and run screaming? I couldn't handle it if you left." His words were hushed, careful, his clear eyes focused only on the mossy green of the beauty in front of him.

"Reid... I'm not going to lie... this is really freaky... but... I've always believed in fate, in karma, in destiny. I doubt I'll be able to get my head around this easy but... I can't lose you either. I'm kind of scared of this... the whole black eye thing? I'm sorry, it's just really weird but... I love you Reid. I don't think I can change that, no matter who or what you are, or once were or whatever."

Reid just stood there, staring into her eyes for a few long seconds, his own wide, his heart stalling, his body frozen.

But not for long.

He scooped her up in his strong arms, swinging her around, kissing her fiercely on the mouth, ecstatic that he _could. _

"I love you so much more!" he exclaimed, "Oh baby, you have no idea how happy you've made me!"

Ryanne smiled, pulling gently at his sexy blonde hair.

"Then it's okay. Then everything's okay."

And for once, it actually was.

* * *

The sun grazed the grounds, spilling out golden thread across the land. The clouds were pink as they dipped gracefully to the horizon, the waves dancing idyllic arcs as they reached for the heavens.

Strands of auburn silk brushed across orbs of mossy green, and a haze of pale white hovered from full lips. Her head was leant back, her gaze cast to the skies, her eyes wide in wonder as she took in the graceful elegance of nature before her.

"Oh _Reid," _she breathed, her hands warm as held Reid's hands to her stomach, his arms resting on her waist. He was stood beside her, holding her to him, his chin resting on her head.

"You happy, love?" he asked her, and she sighed.

"Incredibly so." Reid smiled, her body warming his.

They were standing on the edge of the White cliffs of Dover, the waves beating mercilessly, welcomingly against the base of the hard chalk, the cool sea breeze caressing their faces. Reid had Used – much to Ryanne's preliminary distaste – to send them both to the ivory cliffs facing France, a place that Ryanne had visited when she was just a child, something that Reid had remembered.

"Why did you bring me here?" Ryanne asked breathlessly, her voice hushed, not wanting to disturb the resting beauty of their surroundings.

"Well, there was something I wanted to ask you." Reid smiled down as she looked up at him over her shoulder, her eyes curious, her expression serene.

"Tell me, love, what can you see?" Reid asked her, and Ryanne gazed out once again across the sea.

"Water," she told him. "Deep blue, going on forever and ever... and then over there, far over there, is France, with people living their happy lives, the way they should be." The blonde prince nodded, content with answer.

"Do they have a future?"

"Yes," she claimed. "Yes, they do. A beautiful one."

"Do we have a future?"

"Of course! At least... I hope we do. Right? I want a future with you... and only you." Reid shut his eyes and raised his face to the skies, thanking whatever was up there for granting him such a perfect miracle.

"Fancy making it official?" His mouth was by her ear, the words hot and careful, making her shiver.

"W-what?" she stammered, pressing herself further into him, leaning her head on his shoulder, revelling in the feeling of him, of love.

"You know what I mean."

Ryanne whipped around, staring up at Reid like was a mirage, a mere hallucination conjured straight out of her best dreams. The sun was shining of his blonde hair, casting an angelic halo around his face, and Ryanne felt her heart dance in pure euphoria.

"Are you...?"

"Yes." Reid's eyes sparkled as he dug around in his pocket, his fingers catching hold of the small, delicate ring. It snatched at the light with a soft touch as he drew it out, presenting it to the beautiful girl before him. She gasped as he got down on one knee, then brought the other one down, so he was on his knees before her.

"Will you be mine, Valentine?"

Ryanne fought for breath, her head spinning as she stared down at the simple white gold band, the diamond shining up her like his beautiful eyes.

"You want... you want to _marry _me... you want to marry _me_?"

"With all my heart."

Her heart was pounding mercilessly, wanting to jump out of her chest and kiss him itself. She could barely think, barely stand, barely breath, her whole mind, her whole being thrown into inner chaos as Reid kneeled there, open and vulnerable, asking her to marry him.

"I want you to have your claim," he told her. "So you will know for certain that I am yours. This ring is my heart, my love for you. It's a promise. A promise that no matter what you are, I will be with you."

Ryanne stood there, young and innocent, with aged eyes and a tainted heart. There was always a heavy weight in her soul, pulling away at her strength, her courage. So many times she had give up, refused to go on, but somehow, the people around her had beckoned her forward. And now, she felt light, she felt warm. She felt able to stride on ahead, that nothing could stop her.

And Reid would be forever at her side.

"In life, in death, in everything in between," she whispered, and Reid felt a surge of his heart, the adrenaline pumping around his veins filling him up with anticipation and dread.

"_Yes_."

Reid wasted no time in slipping the delicate ring over her equally delicate finger, then wrapping his arms around her fragile, strong form. Their lips met in a fierce embrace, each fighting for the chance to show the other the true depth of their devotion to one another.

As they fell back onto the grass, gradually falling into a joint slumber, even together in their dreams, the sun smiled its final light over the water, before coming to rest, passing over her duty to her ivory sister. The stars came out, the waves beat mercilessly, welcomingly against the white cliffs, and the sky danced into a thick night ink, the wind hushing its breath over the land.

And they slept on.

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Please review! Please! And remember the poll on my profile :)

**(L)**

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	40. Epilogue: Famous Last Thoughts

**Rukie; Niffer01; Hockeygrl125; Mischieflover; zenrockstar**

I know, quick update. But it's because I feel bad :)

LAST CHAPTER. Scary isn't it?

_.disclaimer._

Enjoy!

_**D**_resden _**L**_ace

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_**Epilogue**_

**Famous Last Thoughts**

_When we're together, I feel perfect  
When I'm pulled away from you, I fall apart  
All you say is sacred to me  
Your eyes are so blue  
I can't look away  
As we lay in the stillness  
You whisper to me_

_

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_

Ivory danced a delicate ballet with the grey ashes and the pink rose petals in the early morning breeze. Silk tied to the branches of a large oak tree rippled eagerly, eying up the sky it wished to touch. Lavender oil sung through the air, staining it with its beautiful fragrance.

I watched as the ashes were blown away, my new purple cloak itching to join them, to be whipped up by the strong winds. I ran a shaky hand through my auburn hair, rubbing away at the few lone tears that had managed to fall from my weary eyes. I sighed to myself, wishing it hadn't come to this.

A hand on my shoulder made me look up, slightly startled, but I smiled when I saw Daniela - who was clad in the same purple silk as I - and Jace behind her. Her long hair that was cascading down her shoulders had white ribbon plaited into the chocolate locks, and there was a rose, the colour of fresh blood tucked behind her ear. I could see where she had smeared lavender oil on her cheeks, just as I could feel where my two smudges were. Jace had on a deep purple shirt and black jeans, the oil on his cheeks, his arm in a white ribbon sling made especially for this day.

There was a soft pain in Daniela's dark eyes, but it was only a quiet echo of her past agony, one that had been faced and dealt with. Tyler had helped her with so much, more than he knew, and for that I was grateful. If anyone deserved a break, to be free, it was Daniela. Now, the pain wasn't for her, but for our fallen friend.

Jace had on his usual strong demeanour, his careful expression watchful over everyone. He nodded at me, then returned to the others, sitting down beside Nael, his good arm clapping the younger boy on the shoulder. Nael too was finding it hard to smile on this day.

It had been Daniela's idea to have her... body cremated. There – and it hurt just to think this – wasn't a lot of it left from the explosion, but we were determined to lay her to rest. Anyway, it wasn't her body that was the most important, it was her spirit, but it was comforting to have that final goodbye. We went through days of trying to decide what to do, where to do it, and how to persuade people to help us do it – not many people agreed with our beliefs. It was only when I thought about a conversation me and Vesper once had about what she would do for her wedding, did I realise that all this faffing around with formalities was pointless. Vesper was all about casual and meaningful.

So that's how we came to hold her ceremony here, a quiet park of some sort, with a large oak tree, lots of bluebells and squirrels. Vesper had loved it here, sitting under the tree, reading or doodling absentmindedly. She only came here a few times but she was adamant about her love for the place. So, I decided, what better place to lay her to rest?

It was easy to persuade the boys to help us with the ceremony, to help us perform the rites using our way, our beliefs. It was only the day before the ceremony did I realise why: Daniela had already known. Daniela performed the ceremony with my aid of course. We did it properly, the way we had been taught to. We were all wearing purple, the girls in purple dresses, the boys in deep violet shirts, my baby in a beautiful lilac gown.

We did it properly.

"Not a time to weep," Daniela chided gently, and I nodded, knowing this was true. I rolled my eyes still, shaking my head; I knew the ways, I knew the beliefs, but it still didn't stop the torrent of sadness and guilt strike me down when I let myself fall too deep.

"It's a time to celebrate, I know," I sighed, brushing back my hair. We should celebrate her life and her journey into the afterlife – I would see her again, but for now I had to deal with my loss, our loss.

Daniela walked away, and after casting one long look at the tree, I followed after her, my eyes searching.

"_Reid." _He was sat with his brothers, my – _our _baby Addyson sat happily in his lap, pulling playfully at his beautiful blonde hair. With each tug he would fake wince, causing Addy to giggle, the sound so loud and pure against the harsh regret in the air.

We were engaged. He was my fiancée, and I was his. We didn't know when we were going to get married or how, just that we were. It was scary, but so exhilarating at the same time. It's what I need now, something good to overcome this dark time.

Jace hadn't been amused when he'd found out about Reid and I; in fact, he hadn't been happy at all. It was a long night when Reid took me back from the White Cliffs and we told him. Reid was amazing though: I don't know how he did it, but he kept calm, talking to Reid gentlemanly. I think Jace was embarrassed that he appeared to be getting hysterical – and by then I was in tears, and he hates it when I cry – and he begrudgingly stopped yelling. The 'conversation' wasn't finished, but it was left to another day. And for that I was grateful.

There was no one around. It was still very early, and it was a Saturday morning: no one was up. I gazed around us as I walked towards Reid, searching for someone, anyone. But there was no one there; we were all alone.

And for once, I loved it.

Reid's big blue eyes caught mine and there was a mix of concern and bliss in the ice azure. He took hold of my hand, urging me silently to sit down which I instantly did, cuddling up into his side, running my fingers through my - _our _baby's soft hair. She smiled up at me, her little nose wrinkled in joy.

Anna had packed us a generous picnic for the morning, and we sat now on a thick blanket, munching and chatting away. There was no anger, no shame, no hatred, no antipathy amongst us in that moment, and it was so relieving to be able to finally settle into my fantasy life now that it was real in my hand.

I was ashamed that it had taken someone close we loved to die for us to realise the depth of life.

As we sat there in blissful content, I looked around at the others, my friends, my family. I loved each one of them, each of them making up some part of my life. There were others, yes, who belonged in my heart, but these here, they were my other family, my blood family. Some were alive, some were dead, but they still made me who I am today.

Daniela, someone who had been with me everywhere, who knew every facet and facade of my life. She'd been with me to hell and back more times than I could count and yet she was still here, standing strong, her head high and her shoulders back. I would always look up to Daniela, and I would always be there for her just like she'd always been there for me.

It used to be just me and her against the world, the two of us alone together, drowning in our secrets, broken from our pain, but now we had found a way out, pushed aside the black agony and dragged ourselves away. She had found Tyler, and I thanked the heavens that she had. It was now the two of them against the world, and I was sure that they would make it all the way. Tyler was so matter-of-fact when it came to her pain, not making a fuss over it, just healing it, saving her from herself with one glance, one touch. He was her strength, her courage, and now Daniela had found her salvation to the world.

Jace, my protector against my harsh childhood, doing everything he could to save me, to help, even when it didn't work. I put him through the worst of times, but he still stayed by me, even when I told him not too. He was over-protective and possessive, but that was what kept me alive all those years ago. Nael, the intellect of the group, making sure we kept our heads and hearts, using his way with words to keep us under control.

Pogue, my brother, just as how I imagined my brother would be. Imperfect, but perfect. When Reid had told me of Pogue's blessing, I had felt some more weight from my shoulders fall. There was a harmony with Pogue, one that Kate was tuned to immaculately. It was the same with Sarah and Caleb: she was so bright and bubbly, completing contrasting to his dark and broody demeanour, and they fitted perfectly.

And then Reid... _Reid!_ He was just perfection. I could try to explain how he was so, but it would take too long as I stumble and fumble over words that were no way near as exact as I needed them to be. He was my angel, my everything, my always. My night sky, my morning sun. Now that I knew him, that I had been with him, I knew that without him I wouldn't be able to survive. Not like I would try and kill myself, more that I would just stop living, you know? Like... nothing. He was just... _ugh! _Everything! I can't... I can't explain it. If you're in love, or experienced it, then you know what I'm talking about... at least, trying to. He's the other half of me. I love him, I love his existence, I love his presence. I love who he makes me. I love _me _when I'm with him.

If this wasn't my life, I wouldn't have believed that this could happen. To hear about love, to witness it, to read about it is _nothing _compared to experiencing it... and I thought I never would. I have been blessed with this... whatever _this _is.

You know how people always say blood is thicker than water? I always knew how true that was in simple terms, from other people's experiences, and it was something I stuck by... but it's only now that I realise how more and more people who I thought were only water to me can change into blood over time.

Blood. Such a diverse thing that has so many meanings, so many roles in life. It carries everything you thought you knew, everything you hold inside. Your heart pumps it around your entire body, and depending on who you are, depending on who you've become, you can feel it with each pulse, with each throb.

I always thought that my blood would only hold pain and despair, cruel memories and harsh words. Something that not only I deserved, but something I had come to expect.

But then I came to Ipswich and met my brother, my father, my friends and my love, and suddenly, my blood felt rich with something else, something I had only heard tales about. Pain and despair still existed in Ipswich, cruel memories and harsh words were still exchanged, but despite all the loss and fear we had come to endure, this new feeling that ran through my veins suddenly made living something worth fighting for.

It's odd how people come to love each other, despite everything working against it, and it's odd how people thrive to survive in such a malicious world. But I guess the need to live, the need to love and _be_ loved is something that we all carry in our veins.

So when times get hard, and you think that it's impossible to go on, that unknown void of death so appealing to you, just stop and close your eyes. If you try hard enough, you will feel that desperate ache against your heart, that constant pulse against your skin. Listen to it. There's a reason that your heart is still beating, and someday you will find that reason. You just have to find that strength, that _hope _to carry on.

_We_ found it. It's in our blood.

Is it in yours?

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_So many nights I cried myself to sleep  
Now that you love me, I love myself  
I never thought I would say this  
I never thought there'd be  
You_

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**Le Fin.**

Or whatever.

So that's it. For now. Finished. And all that jazz.

So **please**, _please_, please tell me what you think!

_**Please**_!

I'm currently writing a one-shot of Ryanne's and Reid's wedding, so look out for it; and remember about PorcelainChaos' scene which I will either add into the previous chapter or create a oneshot when I get it.

Thank you everyone for all your lovely reviews and PMs and everything! I love you all!

Until next time.

**(L)(L)(L)**

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